Don’t expect anything from your Friday release. That’s one lesson Riteish Deshmukh has learnt in his career. Luckily, the first Friday of May surprised him. Raja Shivaji, directed and led by the actor, opened on a strong note on May 1, and by the end of the first week, the domestic collection of the Marathi and Hindi versions crossed the Rs. 50 crore mark.

“More than anything, I am feeling relieved because I’ve been living with this dream for the past 10 years. We worked on the film for the last three-and-a-half years,” began Deshmukh, who also served as a co-writer.

The cherry on top came when Yuvraj Sambhaji Raje Chhatrapati, the 13th direct descendant of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, praised the biopic after watching it at a special screening in Kolhapur. 

“There is a lot of responsibility in making a historical drama. So, when the descendants like the film, you feel relieved that you dealt with the subject with utmost dignity and respect,” said the actor.

Making a biopic on the Maratha warrior king wasn’t easy. Deshmukh knew translating his decade-long vision would be a big commitment.

Decoding the process, he said, “Apart from Ketan Puri, we got more historians on board to understand their perspectives. The most challenging part was writing the script, which took two years.” 

Then it was time to helm the ambitious biopic. Through it all, his biggest support system was actor and his wife Genelia Deshmukh, who doubled up as a producer. “When I am directing, the idea is to ensure I have only that on my plate and not production. Genelia did the major heavy-lifting on ground. She is a better producer than me.”