With the festive season ongoing, Zanai Bhosle — who recently released a song she composed, co-wrote, and sang as a tribute to her grandmother — reflects on their bond. 'For the world, Asha Bhosle was the legendary voice that defined generations of Indian music, but for me, she was simply Asha Aai, my grandmother, bestie, and partner in crime,' she says, reflecting on the legendary singer who passed away this April.

Reflecting on her bond, Zanai fondly shares, “Asha Aai wasn’t someone I met only during holidays or around festivals; she was part of my everyday life: my mornings, music, and endless conversations over chai. We were true besties, and I could tell her things I couldn’t tell anyone else. I remember waking up and going straight to her room, sitting beside her, and talking about my day, my music, or something silly. She would listen, tease me, laugh, and make everything feel better,” recalls Zanai, who has recently released a single- Ashiyan.

While Zanai is still navigating the void of losing her grandmother, she finds solace in memories during the festivals. “What helps me navigate her absence is remembering how she lived—with extraordinary strength, resilience, and laughter. I can’t bring back those mornings, but I carry her teachings into every single day.”

This rings especially true during the festive season. “My favourite Diwali will always be the ones with Asha Aai—the house lit up with diyas, the smell of sweets, her endless laughter, and of course, her music. Today, when I see the Diwali lights, I think of her—the brightest light.”

The singer is making her acting debut as Rani Sai Bhosale in The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. “I’ve always loved storytelling, and acting felt like another way of expressing emotions I’ve explored through music and dance. What drew me to the role was the opportunity to explore a woman’s strength and courage.”

Transitioning from music to acting, she adds, “Singing is deeply personal because I draw from my own emotions, whereas acting requires stepping into someone else’s world. My Kathak training helped me understand how much emotion can be communicated without speaking—a glance or a moment of stillness can tell a whole story.”

When addressing how she balances a legendary musical family legacy, she says, “The greatest way I can honour my family’s legacy is by being true to myself. There will never be another Asha Bhosle, and I wouldn’t want to be an imitation of her. She gave me something even more personal: the courage to believe in myself, work hard, and remain humble. She wanted me to find my own voice. She taught me that music isn’t about proving how talented you are; it’s about making someone feel happy.”

Looking ahead, the young artist is eager to blend her skills. “Playback singing has always been very close to my heart. I’d love to explore playback while continuing to write my own music, and acting and singing in the same project would be an incredible creative experience. Every time I step towards a new dream, a part of me will always be that little girl who just wanted to make her Asha Aai proud.”

Bhumi Satish Pednekkar has come on board the cast of The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The actress will portray Belawadi Mallamma, the warrior queen of Karnataka, in the historical drama headlined by Rishab Shetty, who essays the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Bhumi says, “I’m honoured to be part of a film on the life and legacy of the great Maratha warrior-king, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It’s a privilege for me to play Karnataka’s brave warrior queen, Belawadi Mallamma, and bring her to life on screen. I am a huge Kantara fan, and Rishab Shetty’s stunning performance blew me away. So, the moment Sandeep narrated the film, the actor in me instantly said yes. This is unlike anything I’ve done before, and I’m grateful to the makers for seeing me in a completely new light.”

Directed and produced by Sandeep Singh, The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is a two-part saga. The film also stars Arjun Rampal and Vivek Oberoi and is set to go on floors later this year.

As reported by us earlier, following Pritam’s decision to take a break from mainstream music, the makers roped in Amit Trivedi to compose the music for the historical drama.

A source had shared with us, “The team believes Amit Trivedi’s ability to blend powerful orchestration with deeply rooted Indian melodies makes him an ideal fit for the film’s vision. The music has to capture Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s courage, vision, legacy and the emotional heartbeat of the story. The makers were looking for a composer who could balance scale with emotion, and they are confident Amit’s music will elevate the film’s narrative while staying true to its historical essence.”

Pritam’s decision to take a break from mainstream music prompted the makers of The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to rope in Amit Trivedi for their upcoming historical drama. The composer, who was originally set to helm the music, announced his decision in a birthday post on Instagram last month, revealing that he wanted to “live life differently” and explore “roads unexplored” after years in the mainstream.

With Pritam stepping away from the project, Amit has now come on board to score the music for director Sandeep Singh’s two-part historical saga, starring National Award-winning actor Rishab Shetty as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

According to a source close to the production, Amit’s musical sensibilities made him a good fit for the project. The source says, “The team believes Amit Trivedi’s ability to blend powerful orchestration with deeply rooted Indian melodies makes him an ideal fit for the film’s vision. The music has to capture Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s courage, vision, legacy and the emotional heartbeat of the story.”

Led by Kantara star Rishab Shetty in the titular role, the two-part historical saga, with lyrics by Prasoon Joshi, also features Arjun Rampal and Vivek Oberoi. It is expected to go on floors later this year.

In his birthday note last month, Pritam thanked fans for their wishes and reflected on wanting to make space for new experiences in life. “Thank you for all the wishes. Can’t answer everyone individually, but please accept my sincere gratitude. Today, I have decided to gift myself a few years to live life differently. To catch up on what I’ve missed.” He further hinted at pursuing long-delayed aspirations and interests beyond his mainstream work.

His post read further, “Time to set off on new journeys, which have been kept on the back burner for long. Mainstream is a great ride, But I’ve always been more curious about the roads unexplored. Thank you for all the love & support, Always.”

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.”

Earlier this week, filmmaker Sandeep Singh announced that he was launching Asha Bhosle’s granddaughter Zanai Bhosle with his next, The Pride of Bharat—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Zanai will essay the role of Shivaji’s wife Rani Sai Bhosale in the biopic. What makes Zanai perfect for the role is the fact that she is a descendant of Shivaji’s royal family.

Singh says, “Everybody looks for a star, but I wanted somebody who would become a star. Sai Bai was the mother of Sambhaji Bhosale, Shivaji Raje Bhosale, and died at the age of 25. Zanai and Asha Bhosle share the same lineage. That’s why Zanai is perfect for the role of the most favourite wife of Shivaji Maharaj.”

When Singh went to watch the legendary singer’s show, Asha at 90, on March 9, he saw Zanai performing. That’s when he decided to sign her. “I told [emcee RJ Anmol] to announce my name on the stage as I wanted to sign her for my movie. I called Zanai and Asha tai on the stage, and told Asha tai that I wanted to sign her granddaughter for my directorial debut. Zanai broke down on stage; after the show got over, even Asha tai was overwhelmed; she hugged me and started crying.”

Asha and Singh’s friendship dates back to 2006, reveals the director. It’s an equation that was born from their shared love for music and food. “She makes a mean mutton curry, and always puts extra ghee in my rice,” Singh laughs.

Naturally, the singer is completely involved in her granddaughter’s debut movie. “She called me at home this week for a brief discussion. When I told Asha tai that Ranveer Singh is on my wish-list to play Shivaji, she was happy. She told me that if she was younger, she would have played Shivaji’s mother Jijabai’s role. She added, ‘Agar tumko lagta hai, toh main abhi bhi kar doongi!’ We all started laughing, but we appreciated her passion.”

Before Singh takes The Pride of Bharat—Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj on floors by year end, Zanai will undergo thorough prep that will include diction classes and script workshops. The filmmaker is planning to release the biopic on February 19, 2026 to coincide with Shivaji Jayanti.

Last week, days before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birth anniversary, Sandeep Singh announced his next directorial venture, The Pride Of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Through the biopic, he wants to take the story of the famed Maratha warrior king across the country.

“People don’t know [enough] about Shivaji, even though they may have heard of him. This kind of historical drama needs a lot of research,” starts the producer-turned-director, who plans to mount the project on a lavish scale and release it in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi. 

The obvious question is— whom does he wish to cast in the titular role? “My first choice would be Ranveer Singh as I have worked with him in Bajirao Mastani [2015] and Ram Leela [2013]. When nobody was ready to shave their head for Bajirao, he went ahead and did it. That is the dedication we require to play Shivaji Maharaj. There’s nobody better than him to play Shivaji. He was born and brought up in Mumbai, and knows Marathi too.”

The director, who is fine-tuning the script, will approach the actor after he is ready. “I’ll go to him only with a bound script. I’m sure Ranveer will say yes. Who will say no to play the legendary hero?”

The Maratha king’s mother Jijabai was known to have influenced his values and ideals. The film, which will roll by the year-end, will shed light on her too.

“I will ensure that every part of his life story is captured, including how he started going to war at the age of 13 and his sacrifices. If Sridevi was alive, I would’ve requested her to play Jijabai. But now, my ideal choice is Madhuri Dixit-Nene. She is a powerful actor with a strong persona and vast experience.”