Ram Gopal Varma applauds ‘Raja Shivaji’ for 'creating mayhem', says Riteish Deshmukh looks like ‘Shivaji Maharaj reincarnated’

'Raja Shivaji', directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, was released on May 1. It has opened to an impressive response across theatres. Ram Gopal Varma has now expressed admiration for the historical drama and said that actor-director Riteish Deshmukh is "creating mayhem" at the box office.Ram Gopal Varma praised both the film’s success and Riteish’s efforts. He noted that Riteish is making a strong impact in theatres. Sharing his thoughts on X (formerly Twitter), Ram Gopal Varma 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."The film has received a rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars from ETimes. The review notes, "Raja Shivaji has its share of misses too. The VFX, though decent, looks amateurish in some scenes. The slow-motion shots get tiring after a point, especially when used to show the gory and bloody details of combat scenes. The film may also feel rushed, but that’s the cost of trying to fit a lot into a three-hour runtime."The film delivered a historic opening at the domestic box office. Its release coincided with Maharashtra Day. On its first day, the film collected around Rs 11 crore. This strong start has placed it among notable openers in Marathi cinema.According to Sacnilk, the Marathi version alone earned Rs 8 crore net on Friday. The epic drama 'Raja Shivaji' features actor Riteish Deshmukh in the titular role. The film also includes a strong supporting cast. Abhishek Bachchan, Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt, Fardeen Khan, Vidya Balan, Mahesh Manjrekar, and Sachin Khedekar play key roles.