When it came to helming his first historical drama, Laxman Utekar decided to attempt an ambitious retelling of the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Out of this desire was born Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, an adaptation of the Marathi novel of the same name by Shivaji Sawant. With the biopic focusing on the Maratha king’s reign and his conflicts with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, an important chapter in the narrative is Sambhaji’s coronation ceremony in 1681. It is heard that the director shot a grand song with Kaushal, leading lady Rashmika Mandanna and 700 background dancers in May, to depict the ceremony.

Sources tell us that an expansive set, modelled on the Raigad fort, was built at Film City by production designers Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray. The song, composed by A R Rahman, was shot over four days at the venue.

A source reveals, “The official coronation had taken place on January 16, 1681, at the Raigad fort. At the research stage of Chhaava, it was found out that a London newspaper had carried an article about how the coronation ceremony was a vibrant affair. The article aided the director in recreating the event. In the song, Vicky’s Sambhaji will be seen performing the yagna and the thread ceremony while his wife Yesubai does the Rajabhishek and aarti. As his kingdom rejoices, the king is finally seen taking the throne.”

The source adds that the song is inspired by Powada, a form of Marathi poetry that is used to glorify the kings. Staying true to the subject, composer Rahman is said to have used traditional musical instruments of dholki, tuntune and sambal for the track.

“Vijay Ganguly, who previously choreographed the Stree 2 songs, made it a majestic affair by bringing in over 1,500 people to depict the crowd. The entire city of Raigad is shown to have come to celebrate Sambhaji’s coronation. While the number starts with Vicky’s character partaking in the rituals as his subjects rejoice, Rashmika and he are then seen joining in the revelry. This is the only dance number in the film, the rest play out in the background.”