Riteish Deshmukh slams 'distorted nonsense' about Raja Shivaji

Actor Riteish Deshmukh on Sunday reacted strongly to what he described as “distorted nonsense” about the legacy of Maratha king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Although Ritieish did not name anyone, his X post came in the wake of recent remarks about Raja Shivaji by self-styled godman Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, also known as Bageshwar Baba.

The actor's reaction came at a time when his film, Raja Shivaji, is preparing for a theatrical release on May 1. He has acted in, directed and co-written the historical film.

What did Riteish Deshmukh post on X?

The 47-year-old actor wrote a strong post in Marathi on X without naming anyone. The translation of his post reads, "When someone comes along and spews some distorted nonsense about our cherished deity, as a Shiv-premi and Shiv-bhakt, this is unacceptable and infuriating. Such futile attempts to belittle the legacy will not be tolerated at all (sic)."

"But just as the mountain ranges of the Sahyadri have existed for millions of years before, so too will that one name endure for crores of years in the future. And that name is of the Kshatriya lineage, the Lord of the Throne, the Emperor of Emperors, Chhatrapati Maharaj (sic),” the post adds.

What did Bageshwar Baba say?

Riteish's post followed comments made by Bageshwar Baba during the Bhardurga Shaktisthal foundation stone-laying ceremony in Nagpur.

Speaking at the event, Bageshwar Baba said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj grew very tired of fighting wars; he felt exhausted. One day, he went to Ramdas Swami. He took off his crown and placed it down, saying, ‘I do not want to fight wars anymore. You look after this crown; you handle this kingdom. We shall follow your orders. We can no longer fight; we are very tired and need rest. We wish to do nothing for a few days.’”

About Raja Shivaji

Raja Shivaji is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Riteish's wife, actor Genelia Deshmukh, and is presented by Jio Studios. It is based on the life and legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

The film follows Shivaji Maharaj’s early journey, focussing on his oath to build Swarajya and his stand against the powerful rulers of the time.

Along with Riteish, the cast also includes Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Manjerakar and Boman Irani. Riteish's son Rahyl makes his debut as the young Shivaji in the film.