‘You can’t make this film without me’: Riteish Deshmukh shares Salman Khan’s bold demand for ‘Raja Shivaji’

Riteish Deshmukh on Salman Khan: ‘Raja Shivaji’ isn’t playing small. Riteish Deshmukh is stepping into the powerful role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. And he’s not doing it alone.

The film brings together a massive lineup of Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Manjerakar, and Boman Irani.

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And then there’s Salman Khan, who isn’t just doing a blink-and-miss cameo. He has a special role opposite Riteish.

Also Read: ‘Unacceptable’: Riteish Deshmukh reacts after Dhirendra Krishna Shastri’s statement on Shivaji Maharaj

Salman Khan’s ‘I have to be in it’ moment

The most talked-about part of this film isn’t just the story. It’s how Salman became part of it.

Riteish and Salman go back a long way. They’ve worked together in films like ‘Lai Bhari’ and ‘Ved’. Their off-screen friendship clearly spills onto their professional lives.

Riteish shared a memory that says a lot about Salman’s style. During ‘Lai Bhari’, Salman had simply said he wanted to do a scene. Later, during ‘Ved’, things were even simpler. Riteish asked to meet him, and Salman’s response was straight to the point: what role, how many days, done.

But with ‘Raja Shivaji’, things flipped.

This time, Riteish didn’t go to Salman with an offer.

Instead, during a New Year’s meet-up, Salman himself asked when the film was starting. When Riteish told him the shoot was about to begin, Salman didn’t ask ‘if’ he was in the film. He asked ‘which role’ he was playing.

Riteish admitted he didn’t even have a role ready for Salman at that point. But that didn’t stop the superstar.

Salman reportedly insisted, saying the film couldn’t be made without him.

Advance booking looks strong

Even before its release, “Raja Shivaji” has started making noise at the ticket windows. Early estimates suggest the film has already collected around Rs 3 crore in advance bookings.

For a historical film, that’s a solid start especially when the market is already crowded.

The Maharashtra Day release seems to be working in its favour. The timing connects with regional pride, which could boost footfall in key areas.

There’s also curiosity around how Riteish will handle such a serious, larger-than-life character. He has directed before, but this scale is new territory.