Sher Shivraj trailer: Shivaji goes up against Mukesh Rishi's barbaric Afzal Khan

Maratha warrior king Shivaji’s killing of the fearsome Adilshahi general Afzal Khan using the famous 'wagh nakh' (tiger claw) has been a part of history textbooks for a long time. This particular event has also been shown in many films and television shows.

Now we will get to see another version of this famous incident in Digpal Lanjekar's upcoming historical action drama Sher Shivraj, starring Chinmay Mandlekar in the title role. This is Lanjekar's fourth film in a series of action dramas based on 17th century Maratha history.

The two-and-a-half-minute trailer begins with atrocities being committed against the people by soldiers of the Bijapur kingdom. After the torture scenes, Mukesh Rishi makes his entry as the barbaric Afzal Khan who takes an oath to capture Shivaji (Mandlekar) dead or alive.

In no position to take on the Adilshahi army in open combat, Shivaji decides to play the waiting game and boost Afzal Khan's ego. Towards the end of the clip, we see him come face to face with Afzal Khan wearing his now famous tiger claw.

The trailer also depicts some battle scenes between Maratha troops and the Adilshahi army. We see a few regular faces from Lanjekar's Maratha cinematic universe, such as Mrunal Kulkarni, who plays Shivaji's mother Jijabai, Vaibhav Mangale and Ajay Purkar. Interestingly, the trailer does not reveal who plays Jiva Mahala, the aide who saved Shivaji after the latter had disposed of Afzal Khan.

Mukesh Rishi, who is making his Marathi debut with this film, is perfect for this kind of role. Varsha Usgaonkar makes a brief appearance in the trailer. Mandlekar looks fierce and determined as Shivaji.

As in the preceding three films, the intense action scenes are certain to be a highlight of Sher Shivraj. Some of the scenes look decent, but one wishes the team had put in more effort to make them more intense and grand.

Another drawback in the trailer is the poor colour grading and lighting. Especially during the night sequences, it is easy to figure out the use of artificial lighting. The post-production should have made it look more natural.

Sher Shivraj is produced by Nittin Keni's Mumbai Movie Studios and Pradyot Pendharkar and Anil Narayanrao Warkhade's Raajwarasa Productions in association with Lanjekar and Mandlekar's Mulakshar Productions. The film is being distributed by UFO Moviez.

Sher Shivraj will arrive in theatres on 22 April. Watch the trailer below and let us know if you are keen to watch this film.