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<p><strong><span >Q.</span><span > How did this film come your way?</span></strong></p><p><span >Out of the blue, Riteish called to say that he wanted to narrate a subject. He said the film was about Shivaji Raje and he wanted me to play <em>Jijabai</em>. I said ‘yes’ before he could even start narrating the script. He reminded me of when Sooraj [Barjatya] had come to narrate <em>Maine Pyar Kiya</em> years ago.</span></p><p><strong><span >Q. </span><span >What interested you about this role?</span></strong></p><p><span >Jijabai was the rock behind <em>Chhatrapati </em>and mooted the idea of swaraj (self-rule). She was more than a traditional mother and helped shape a whole generation in her kingdom. Being able to play a woman from Indian history who changed the political landscape of the time is something I couldn’t miss.</span></p><p><strong><span >Q. </span><span >How is Riteish Deshmukh as a director?</span></strong></p><p><span >What makes Riteish a good director is his calm demeanour. Even when things weren’t working out, he’d handle everything calmly. On a set, the whole crew takes their cues from the director and if you have someone who doesn’t lose their mind, it makes for a healthy work atmosphere.</span></p><p><strong><span >Q.</span> The industry has changed a lot since your 1989 debut. What is one change you are happy to see and one that you wish hadn’t happened?</strong></p><p>I love that we get bound scripts in hand. It’s so much easier to prepare before you go on set because you can create back stories and rehearse dialogues. This means that you don’t waste time on set.</p><div id="lrcmtcont"></div><div class="end_story">- Ends</div><div class="dottedimg"></div><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Mansi </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">May 1, 2026 19:05 IST</div></div></div><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div id="tab-video-wrapper-plugin"><div class="end_story_embed_label">Must Watch</div><amp-iframe height="365" title="" width="648" layout="responsive" sandbox="allow-forms allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen src="https://embed.indiatoday.tech/share/video/elections/assembly/MjYzMjk4MQ==?native=1" class="mrBt15"> </amp-iframe> </iframe></div></div>

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<p><strong><span style="color:#c0392b;">Q.</span><span style="color:#000000;"> How did this film come your way?</span></strong></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">Out of the blue, Riteish called to say that he wanted to narrate a subject. He said the film was about Shivaji Raje and he wanted me to play <em>Jijabai</em>. I said ‘yes’ before he could even start narrating the script. He reminded me of when Sooraj [Barjatya] had come to narrate <em>Maine Pyar Kiya</em> years ago.</span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#c0392b;">Q. </span><span style="color:#000000;">What interested you about this role?</span></strong></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">Jijabai was the rock behind <em>Chhatrapati </em>and mooted the idea of swaraj (self-rule). She was more than a traditional mother and helped shape a whole generation in her kingdom. Being able to play a woman from Indian history who changed the political landscape of the time is something I couldn’t miss.</span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#c0392b;">Q. </span><span style="color:#000000;">How is Riteish Deshmukh as a director?</span></strong></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">What makes Riteish a good director is his calm demeanour. Even when things weren’t working out, he’d handle everything calmly. On a set, the whole crew takes their cues from the director and if you have someone who doesn’t lose their mind, it makes for a healthy work atmosphere.</span></p><p><strong><span style="color:#c0392b;">Q.</span> The industry has changed a lot since your 1989 debut. What is one change you are happy to see and one that you wish hadn’t happened?</strong></p><p>I love that we get bound scripts in hand. It’s so much easier to prepare before you go on set because you can create back stories and rehearse dialogues. This means that you don’t waste time on set.</p><div id="lrcmtcont"></div><div class="end_story">- Ends</div><div class="dottedimg"></div><div class="authors__container"><div class="authors__by"><div class="authlable">Published By: </div><div class="authdetaisl">Mansi </div></div><div class="published__on"><div class="authlable">Published On: </div><div class="authdetaisl">May 1, 2026 19:05 IST</div></div></div><div id="tab-link-wrapper-plugin"><div id="tab-video-wrapper-plugin"><div class ='end_story_embed_label'>Must Watch</div><iframe  height="365"  title=""  width="648"  layout="responsive" sandbox="allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-top-navigation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" allowfullscreen scrolling="no" src="https://embed.indiatoday.tech/share/video/elections/assembly/MjYzMjk4MQ==" loading="lazy" class="multy-video-iframe" > </iframe></div></div>

Bhagyashree talks about playing Jijabai in Riteish Deshmukh's historical action drama, 'Raja Shivaji'

India Today

Bhagyashree talks about playing Jijabai in Riteish Deshmukh’s historical action drama, 'Raja Shivaji'

Q&A with Bhagyashree | Role model - India Today

Q&A with Bhagyashree | Role model

qa-with--bhagyashree--role-model-015020825-16x9.png

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Q&A with Bhagyashree | Role model

Bhagyashree talks about playing Jijabai in Riteish Deshmukh's historical action drama, 'Raja Shivaji'

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