‘Raja Shivaji’ trailer: Riteish Deshmukh responds to Wagh Nakh controversy after receiving criticism

Actor-filmmaker Riteish Deshmukh, who has taken on multiple responsibilities as writer, director, producer, and lead actor in ‘Raja Shivaji’, recently landed in controversy following the trailer launch. The ambitious historical drama on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj has generated significant buzz but also criticism online, particularly over a scene featuring Sanjay Dutt and the iconic Wagh Nakh.An X (formerly Twitter) user questioned the film’s historical accuracy, writing, “Did Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj show the ‘Wagh Nakh’ to Afzal Khan? Wagh Nakh came out only after Afzal attacked Maharaj. Why is @Riteishd manipulating the glorious history of Maharashtra?”The user further added, “The trailer of Riteish Deshmukh’s film shows Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj openly displaying the Wagh Nakh to Afzal Khan before the attack. It is historical fact that ‘Wagh Nakh’ was concealed and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj used it only after attack by Afzal.”Expressing strong disapproval, the post read, “WHY IS @RITEISHD MANIPULATING & INSULTING CHHATRAPATI SHIVAJI MAHARAJ'S & MAHARASHTRA'S HISTORY, LEGACY & PRIDE???”Riteish Deshmukh's responseAddressing the criticism, Riteish responded politely, urging viewers to watch ‘Raja Shivaji’ before drawing conclusions. “Respected Sir, pls do watch the film on 1st May.. the answer to your question is there in the movie. I hope you enjoy the film with your friends and family. Jai Shivrai,” he wrote.The exchange didn’t end there, as the user replied, “So the truth is ‘inside the film’? ‘Watch the film for answers’ is fine for fiction, not history. When depicting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the trailer itself should answer questions, not raise them. Interesting strategy: Market Doubt, Sell Clarification.”Meanwhile, several users came to Riteish’s defence. One commented, “I think the scene is after Afzhal was stabbed.” Another wrote, “It’s a movie take it as a movie, if you like go and see if you don’t, don’t go. It’s simple. We have CBFC etc bodies to take care of it.” A third added, “Pehle dekh toh lo bhai… Itna toh usne research kari hi hogi.”More about ‘Raja Shivaji’‘Raja Shivaji’ is produced by Genelia D’Souza and Jyoti Deshpande and features an ensemble cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amole Gupte, and Genelia. The film is slated for a theatrical release on May 1 in both Marathi and Hindi.