In 2024, Riteish Deshmukh announced his second Marathi directorial project, ‘Raja Shivaji,’ following the success of his debut film ‘Ved.’ The film will be a bilingual release in Marathi and Hindi, making it a significant cinematic endeavor.ETimes has exclusively learned intriguing details about the project, including its exciting cast and ongoing shoot schedule.A source from the set revealed, “The shooting of the film has already begun in Mumbai. Interestingly, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, and Abhishek Bachchan will portray Mughal characters, while Riteish Deshmukh will take on the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”We reached out to Fardeen Khan and are currently awaiting his response.On the occasion of Shivaji Jayanti last year (2024), Ritesh officially announced the project and shared the film’s poster on Twitter. He wrote:Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name but an emotion. On the auspicious occasion of his birth anniversary, I join you in paying homage to the great son of the soil. May his legacy continue to inspire us for generations to come. We seek your blessings as we begin our new… pic.twitter.com/HPAQXhaygN— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) February 19, 2024 “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is not just a name but an emotion. On the auspicious occasion of his birth anniversary, I join you in paying homage to the great son of the soil. May his legacy continue to inspire us for generations to come. We seek your blessings as we begin our new journey. Jai Shivrai!! (sic).”‘Raja Shivaji’ is helmed by Riteish Deshmukh and produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh.