Two months after its release, Vicky Kaushal-starrer Chhaava is still seeing an impressive theatrical run. Now, lyricist-writer-director duo Siddharth Singh and Garima Wahal are hoping to use this success to lay the groundwork for their film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Siddharth says, “In a sort of subtle way, (films like Chhaava) open up Maharashtrian history to the world.” Garima agrees, “They have touched upon this one incident and that worked well with the people. There is so much more to say and to show that it’s hard to contain in a single film.”

The project, which goes on floors soon, stars actor Rishab Shetty as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Ask if a Kannada actor can accurately portray a Maratha King and Siddharth replies, “The region used to be called Dakkhan (Deccan) back then and included not just Maharashtra but Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, etc. Also, all actors are dying to portray larger-than-life characters. You just have to find a match.”

Garima tells us, “Rishab is a powerhouse of an actor. He brought alive mythology in Kantara (2022). When films were falling at the box office left, right and centre, he brought out something so original.” She adds, “So, to us, there is no one better than Rishab to portray the iconic role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”