Genelia D'Souza says she cried watching Abhishek Bachchan perform in Raja Shivaji
Genelia D'Souza said she was moved to tears watching Abhishek Bachchan's performance in Raja Shivaji. She also shared how audiences in Maharashtra connected with the film and opened up about Riteish Deshmukh and Abhishek's friendship.
Genelia D'Souza has revealed that she broke down while watching Abhishek Bachchan perform in Raja Shivaji, saying there was “something so beautiful” about his scenes in the film. The actor also spoke about the emotional response Raja Shivaji has received in Maharashtra and reflected on Abhishek’s close bond with her husband Riteish Deshmukh.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Genelia spoke about the success of the film and the emotional reaction it has received. She said, “At some level, we had simply set out to make a film. But I think these are the blessings you receive, the kind we often don’t even sit down to count.”
The actor added that the response has been difficult to process because of the sheer amount of love pouring in. “It feels very, very special to be in a place where so many people are saying so many things about the film. It’s tough to gauge it all, but it’s a good problem to have,” she said.
“Everyone in Maharashtra who has seen the film has almost treated it like it’s their own film, and nothing means more than that. It’s not my film, it’s our film. It’s a story about Maharashtra, but it’s also an Indian film,” she added.
Genelia explained that the film became deeply personal for the family because of what Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj represents to them across generations.
“One of the reasons we made this film was because Maharaj is an absolute hero to Riteish, an absolute hero to his father, and also to his children. If you can share that experience with so many more people, especially people like me, who genuinely wanted to know more, then that’s truly meaningful,” she said.
The actor admitted that while working on the film, she herself discovered emotional layers of the story that stayed with her, particularly the relationship between the two brothers depicted in the film.
“I didn’t initially know about the relationship between the two brothers, and for me, that became one of my most favourite parts of the film. But that understanding came from studying it, from learning and knowing more about it,” she said.
Talking about the emotional impact Abhishek Bachchan’s performances had on her, “When he was acting, I was actually crying there because there was something so beautiful about those moments,” she said.
“I know I was asking too much from Abhishek when I asked him to be part of the film, but I just had to,” the actor added.
Genelia shared, “I remember during Abhishek’s wedding, Riteish was so emotional and excited - he would barely sleep. That’s the kind of bond we are talking about between them.”
She further reflected, “These are such towering historical figures that none of us can truly fit into that kind of legacy or era. But the emotion between the two brothers, the distance between them, that’s something very difficult for actors to portray. And it can only happen if you genuinely feel it, if it comes from an honest place.”
Having worked across multiple film industries, the actor said Raja Shivaji reaffirmed her belief in unity within cinema. “I’ve worked across many industries, and I like it when we don’t limit ourselves to only one industry or one space. I like it when people come together to see the bigger picture,” she said.
She concluded by addressing the perception that the entertainment industry lacks warmth. “And one thing this film has taught me is that there are truly great people in our industry. People often criticise the industry for being heartless, but I personally haven’t seen that. I’ve only seen people come together to create something meaningful,” Genelia said.
Genelia D'Souza has revealed that she broke down while watching Abhishek Bachchan perform in Raja Shivaji, saying there was “something so beautiful” about his scenes in the film. The actor also spoke about the emotional response Raja Shivaji has received in Maharashtra and reflected on Abhishek’s close bond with her husband Riteish Deshmukh.
In an exclusive interview with India Today, Genelia spoke about the success of the film and the emotional reaction it has received. She said, “At some level, we had simply set out to make a film. But I think these are the blessings you receive, the kind we often don’t even sit down to count.”
The actor added that the response has been difficult to process because of the sheer amount of love pouring in. “It feels very, very special to be in a place where so many people are saying so many things about the film. It’s tough to gauge it all, but it’s a good problem to have,” she said.
“Everyone in Maharashtra who has seen the film has almost treated it like it’s their own film, and nothing means more than that. It’s not my film, it’s our film. It’s a story about Maharashtra, but it’s also an Indian film,” she added.
Genelia explained that the film became deeply personal for the family because of what Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj represents to them across generations.
“One of the reasons we made this film was because Maharaj is an absolute hero to Riteish, an absolute hero to his father, and also to his children. If you can share that experience with so many more people, especially people like me, who genuinely wanted to know more, then that’s truly meaningful,” she said.
The actor admitted that while working on the film, she herself discovered emotional layers of the story that stayed with her, particularly the relationship between the two brothers depicted in the film.
“I didn’t initially know about the relationship between the two brothers, and for me, that became one of my most favourite parts of the film. But that understanding came from studying it, from learning and knowing more about it,” she said.
Talking about the emotional impact Abhishek Bachchan’s performances had on her, “When he was acting, I was actually crying there because there was something so beautiful about those moments,” she said.
“I know I was asking too much from Abhishek when I asked him to be part of the film, but I just had to,” the actor added.
Genelia shared, “I remember during Abhishek’s wedding, Riteish was so emotional and excited - he would barely sleep. That’s the kind of bond we are talking about between them.”
She further reflected, “These are such towering historical figures that none of us can truly fit into that kind of legacy or era. But the emotion between the two brothers, the distance between them, that’s something very difficult for actors to portray. And it can only happen if you genuinely feel it, if it comes from an honest place.”
Having worked across multiple film industries, the actor said Raja Shivaji reaffirmed her belief in unity within cinema. “I’ve worked across many industries, and I like it when we don’t limit ourselves to only one industry or one space. I like it when people come together to see the bigger picture,” she said.
She concluded by addressing the perception that the entertainment industry lacks warmth. “And one thing this film has taught me is that there are truly great people in our industry. People often criticise the industry for being heartless, but I personally haven’t seen that. I’ve only seen people come together to create something meaningful,” Genelia said.
