Actor-director Riteish Deshmukh has expressed his joy over the strong audience response to his directorial film Raja Shivaji, which hit theatres on May 1. In a recent interaction, he shared how deeply the film is connecting with viewers, noting that entire families—from grandparents to young children—are coming together to watch stories based on historical icons like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

He described how many people, including those who rarely visit cinemas, are making it a point to watch the film with their families. According to him, parents are even bringing very young children, wanting their first cinematic experience to be a film rooted in history and culture. He also pointed out that audiences are actively sharing their reactions online, creating videos before and after watching the film and encouraging others to see it.

Riteish added that such organic appreciation is the most fulfilling aspect for filmmakers, as it reflects genuine acceptance from the audience. He emphasized the importance of cinema in presenting history in a more engaging way, especially for younger generations who may only encounter limited information in textbooks. Watching such films, he believes, helps uncover stories and details that are often not covered in traditional education.

Raja Shivaji has made a powerful impact at the box office, setting new benchmarks for Marathi cinema. The historical drama recorded an impressive opening weekend collection of Rs 23.90 crore. It also achieved the highest opening day collection ever for a Marathi film, according to trade analyst Taran Adarsh.

The film opened strongly with Rs 12.40 crore on its first day, benefiting from the Maharashtra Day holiday, and followed it up with Rs 11.50 crore on the second day. While the Marathi version is currently driving most of the revenue, the Hindi version is expected to grow further with positive word-of-mouth. Featuring a star-studded cast including Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, and Genelia Deshmukh, along with Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, and Amole Gupte, the film continues to gain momentum and is expected to perform strongly in the coming days.