Riteish Deshmukh has said that Hindi cinema cannot be confined to one format after the success of ‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Dhurandhar: The Revenge’. The actor-filmmaker, who is gearing up for the release of his historical drama ‘Raja Shivaji’, said filmmakers should be aware of the changing tastes of the audience but should not assume that only one style of storytelling will work. He added that the Indian audience remains wide and open to different types of films when it comes to connecting the story.
Riteish Deshmukh on changing Hindi cinema
According to Bollywood Hungama, Riteish spoke about his change in cinema while discussing ‘Raja Shivaji’. Reacting to the impact of Aditya Dhar’s ‘Dhurandhar’ films, “I think one has to be aware of the changes happening around you. You can’t be blind to the changes. And when something really works, something like Dhurandhar or Dhurandhar The Revenge is wonderful, and there’s a different narrative, different stories, a new style, telling a new style of its own…”. So it’s always welcome. You feel excited about it.’He said the success of one format should not lead the industry to ignore other stories. “But I think that having said that our audience is very broad and if there is a good story they will see it come out and celebrate that as well,” said Riteish.
‘Raja Shivaji’ release date and cast details
Riteish added, “If there’s a particular film, I think it’s going to be really limited on our part to think that only stories like this or things like that will work. When Dhurandhar came in, it was of its kind, when Saiyaara came in, it was of its kind. So if you look at the films that have really worked… Chhaava when he thought he wouldn’t have done business in this genre.”These films proved that audiences accept many types of cinema. “So at the end of the day, these movies have set the benchmarks for themselves, and that proves it, look bigger,” he said.‘Raja Shivaji’ features Riteish as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. He has also directed and written the film that will be released on May 1, 2026. The cast includes Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan and Salman Khan in a special appearance.
