Abhishek Bachchan He has come to the defense of ‘Raja Shivaji’ amid the flak the film has received over its VFX. After playing Sambhaji Shahaji Bhosale, the elder brother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in the film, Abhishek argued that it is not fair to compare Indian films with Hollywood ones, given how different their budgets are. He also emphasized that VFX is a craft that improves with time and investment, and that working under tight deadlines adds to the challenge.
Abhishek Bachchan comes to the defense of Raja Shivaji
In a candid interview with News18, Abhishek didn’t mince words to address the VFX criticism. “Maybe the common man doesn’t know, but VFX is a very fine art, but it’s a rain card. The more time you spend on it, the better it will look. The more money you can put into your VFX, the better quality it will be.” People have to understand that finally Riteish and Genelia (Deshmukh) have made a Marathi film within a very tight budget,” he said. He went on to point out that Hollywood studios probably spend upwards of Rs 5 billion on VFX, over and above a film’s overall budget, and made it clear that Indian cinema cannot compete at that level because, as he put it, “that’s not our market”.
Abhishek Bachchan on Indian films vs Hollywood
Abhish didn’t shy away from putting the budget gap into perspective, noting that Indian films spend a fraction—perhaps almost a percent—of what Hollywood pours into VFX alone. He emphasized that quality is related to how much time and money goes into the process. Pointing out Riteish’s dual role as a producer and director, he said that there comes a point where one has to draw the line and decide how long to continue. Given a decade, he argued, the output would be remarkable, but that kind of patience and time is not a reality for Indian filmmakers. “Those ten years will also cost a lot of money. But can a movie afford it? You don’t want to burden a movie like that. If Riteish had the freedom to spend a billion on VFX, it would have gone a long way. You have to understand that checks and balances always happen,” Bachchan added.
Abhishek Bachchan on the emotional core of Raja Shivaji
Wrapping up his defense of the film, Abhishek made it clear that despite the noise surrounding the VFX, his admiration for Riteish’s vision remains unwavering. He reminded everyone that at its core, ‘Raja Shivaji’ was always meant to be an emotional story, and that’s exactly what it is. The reaction to the VFX, he said, will fade over time, but what really matters is whether the film achieved its potential, and the story was told effectively. On both counts, he did not hesitate, saying that the answer is an absolute “yes”.
‘Raja Shivaji’: All about the cast and plot
Produced by Jio Studios and Mumbai Film Company, ‘Raja Shivaji’ comes with a star-studded cast including Riteish DeshmukhSanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin KhedekarBhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, To Jitendra Joshi, Boman IraniAmol Gupte and Genelia Deshmukh. Salman Khan also makes a much talked about cameo appearance.
