Peepingmoon.com exclusively revealed in January that Vicky Kaushal is teaming up with Laxman Utekar and Dinesh Vijan once again after their yet-unreleased romantic comedy co-starring Sara Ali Khan. We also disclosed that Vicky would play Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the eldest son of the Maratha empire’s founder and the great warrior king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in this epic warrior drama. Three months on, the film’s pre-production is going on in full swing and is set to hit floors in September 2023. Now, we have got further details about this massive project, which will surely increase your excitement.
Industry sources have informed us that Vicky Kaushal will romance South Indian sensation Rashmika Mandanna in this period drama, titled Chhava. The actress who gained pan-India popularity with Allu Arjun’s Pushpa: Part 1 has been locked in to play the role of Sambhaji Maharaj’s wife, Yesubai Bhonsale. "Although the film is primarily about Sambhaji Maharaj's bravery, ultimate sacrifice, and strategies for winning wars, it also features an emotional love story between a husband and wife. Sambhaji Raje and his wife jointly held the throne as the emperor. She used to handle all political decisions while he was away from the Maratha capital due to warfare. Rashmika was the maker's first choice from the beginning and was locked following her look test. She will receive voice coaching for this movie to help her embody her historical persona, while Vicky will train for four months to become proficient in sword fighting, horseback riding, and archery," a source told us, adding that Chhava will be Vicky and Rashmika's first on-screen collaboration. Prior to this, they had worked together on an advertisement for an underwear brand.
Laxman Utekar has already begun the preparation and has brought on board a team of top-notch creative and technical talents to mount it on the largest scale possible. Producer Dinesh Vijan is offering his full support and has sanctioned a huge budget to make this film a truly visual extravaganza. It’s said to be the most expensive project coming out of Maddock Films, which is best known for its modest budget films like Hindi Medium, Stree, Luka Chuppi, and Bhediya, to name a few. Chhava also marks their first historical project, and the team is leaving no stone unturned to bring this story to the big screen exactly the way they have envisioned it.
For those unversed, Sambhaji Maharaj was the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha Empire, ruling from 1681 to 1689. He took control of the kingdom after his father’s demise in April 1680. Brought up by his grandmother after his mother’s death when he was two, Sambhaji began studying politics from the age of nine, had strong command over martial arts, literature, and 14 languages, and mastered the art of guerilla warfare. Also known as Chhava (the cub of a lion), he was a courageous king who believed in a strong set of values and carried on Shivaji Maharaj’s mission and ideas. During his reign, the Maratha kingdom fought many battles against the Mughal Empire, the Siddis of Janjira, and the Portuguese, among others, until being executed by Aurangzeb in the most horrible manner possible. Sambhuji Raje is adored and celebrated throughout Maharashtra for his refusal to succumb to Aurangzeb’s methods and for preferring to die instead of compromising the cause he believed in.
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