Ram Gopal Varma applauds “Slashing and Smashing” success of Riteish Deshmukh’s 'Raja Shivaji'

Riteish Deshmukh’s historical epic Raja Shivaji is making massive waves across the industry following its record-breaking release on Maharashtra Day. After a thunderous opening that was received well by both critics and fans, the film recently received a BIG shoutout from filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma.

Taking to social media, RGV hailed the Riteish vision, highlighting that his portrayal of the legendary Maratha warrior feels like a "reincarnation" and that his efforts as an actor and direction are creating "mayhem" at the box office.

Congratulating Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, 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 veteran filmmaker’s praise has set social media on fire, giving the film an extra boost. Since its release, Raja Shivaji has been rewriting the record books, starting with a historic Rs 12.40 crore on its opening day. This movie has turned out to be a full-blown box office movement that only seems to be getting stronger with each passing day.

Earlier in the day, Riteish Deshmukh also spoke to fans after seeing the response in theatres. Thanking audiences for their love, he shared a video message and made a simple request to protect the film's experience for others.

In his message, the actor urged fans not to record or upload scenes from theatres, especially key moments that could spoil the story. However, he said that viewers can still share photos or stills, as long as they do not reveal important parts of the film. Along with the video, he also shared a caption in Marathi that translates to, "A humble request: Please do not upload videos on social media while watching the movie."

The historical epic, Raja Shivaji, features a stellar ensemble including Abhishek Bachchan, Genelia Deshmukh, Sanjay Dutt and Mahesh Manjrekar, alongside veterans like Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree and Fardeen Khan.

Adding to the film's star power, Salman Khan’s high-octane cameo has been met with thunderous cheers from audiences nationwide. Another major highlight in the film is the silver screen debut of Rahyl Deshmukh, Riteish and Genelia’s son.