Ram Gopal Varma praised Riteish Deshmukh’s film Raja Shivaji, and said that the actor ‘literally looks like Shivaji Maharaj reincarnated’.
Riteish Deshmukh’s ambitious historical drama ‘Raja Shivaji’ was released in theatres on May 1, and the film has made a strong start at the box office. The film, which Riteish Deshmukh has co-written, directed, and also stars in, has now received praise from Ram Gopal Varma. The filmmaker wrote that Riteish is creating ‘mayhem in theatres’ and said that the film is smashing the box office. He also complimented Riteish on his portrayal of the Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, saying that the actor ‘literally looks like Shivaji Maharaj reincarnated’.
Ram Gopal Varma Praises Riteish Deshmukh’s Raja Shivaji
Ram Gopal Varma took to X (formerly Twitter), and wrote, “Hey @geneliad CONGRATS on the way your #RajaShivaji is both SLASHING and SMASHING the BOXOFFICE .. @Riteishd both as DIRECTOR and ACTOR is creating MAYHEM in the THEATRES and he literally looks #ShivajiMaharaj REINCARNATED.” Check out his post below!
Hey @geneliad CONGRATS on the way your #RajaShivaji is both SLASHING and SMASHING the BOXOFFICE .. @Riteishd both as DIRECTOR and ACTOR is creating MAYHEM in the THEATRES and he literally looks #ShivajiMaharaj REINCARNATED 🙏💪🔥
— Ram Gopal Varma (@RGVzoomin) May 1, 2026
Raja Shivaji Box Office Collection Day 1
According to industry tracker Sacnilk, Raja Shivaji collected a net of ₹11.35 crore across 6,192 shows in India on its opening day. The Marathi version contributed ₹8.00 crore to the total, while the Hindi version added ₹3.35 crore to the day-one box office earnings. Raja Shivaji also recorded the highest occupancy from Sangli in Maharashtra, followed by Pune, Mumbai and Nashik.
About Raja Shivaji
Raja Shivaji features Riteish Deshmukh in the titular role and boasts an impressive ensemble, including Abhishek Bachchan, Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, and Amole Gupte, among others.