Filmmaker Ajit Shirole, writer Pratap Gangavane working on historical epic, Shivputra Sambhaji

The growing trend of making epics on figures and incidents from Maratha history seems to be crossing over from Marathi to Hindi cinema. Director Ajit Shirole plans to make his Hindi film debut with a feature on Sambhaji, the eldest son and successor of the 17th century Maratha emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film will be written by Pratap Gangavane, the writer of another historical epic, Ravrambha. 

Speaking about his decade-long dream project, the director said, “Shivputra Sambhaji is going to be my most ambitious project as I have been planning and preparing for this for the past 10 years. I have referred to many historical documents, books and chronicles. I remember watching the Hollywood movie 300 and I was so fascinated by that movie and its VFX that I promised myself that I would make something as so grand in Hindi cinema.”

The film will be backed by the Shivani Movies banner in association with Dhanraj Productions. The film will be released in four languages, including Marathi. The recently released poster of the film depicts a silhouette of Sambhaji Raje facing the horizon, while a fort is under attack behind him. 

The cast of the film has not been announced yet, but the director said that he wanted to shoot the film on location.

The filmmaker said the reason why he decided to make a film on the second Chhatrapati of the Maratha empire is that he had always been inspired by him. 

Shirole said,  "He was such a great and skilled leader who had mastered many languages at the tender age of 14. He was a scholar who wrote four epics, namely Budhbhushanam in Sanskrit and Nayikabhed, Nakhshikha, and Saatsatak in the Braj language. Sambhaji Raje was known as the people’s leader and also took forward Shivaji Maharaj’s dream of Swarajya. Sambhaji proved to be an ideal successor to Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj with a perfect combination of brilliance, strength, kindness, politeness and knowledge. He fought many battles valiantly for our nation."