Actress Bhagyashree addressed conversations surrounding her portrayal of Rajmata Jijabai, the mother of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, in the blockbuster Marathi film Raja Shivaji. The actress recently reacted to playing mother to Riteish Deshmukh, who is only around 10 years younger than her in real life.
Following the film’s strong box office performance, Bhagyashree spoke to Zoom about accepting the historical role and why age was never a concern for her while taking on the character of Jijabai.
Defending the casting choice, the actress said, “When you get to play a role that you have grown up hearing stories about, there is no question to say no. Besides, Jijau was a young mother. In fact, Santosh Sivan sir called me up to say, ‘Sorry, I had to make you look older with camera work, still look so youthful’. Now that is a compliment I will hold close to my heart. After all, he is the maestro cinematographer, Santosh Sivan.”
While Bhagyashree is 57 years old, Riteish is 47 currently.
Bhagyashree’s role as the mother of Shivaji Maharaj has received praise from audiences since the release of the historical drama. Interestingly, the actress also shares a royal connection with Maharashtra’s history in real life. She belongs to the Patwardhan royal family of Sangli, and her father, Vijay Singhrao Madhavrao Patwardhan, holds the titular title of the king of Sangli.
Speaking about her childhood memories associated with Shivaji Maharaj, Bhagyashree revealed how deeply rooted the Maratha ruler’s legacy was in her upbringing. She shared, “Shivaji Maharaj's stories were told to us, probably even before the tales of Goldilocks, Hansel and Gretel, etc. Children built sandcastles on the beach, we used to build Shivaji's killa with mud and clay.”
Directed by Riteish Deshmukh, Raja Shivaji released on May 1 in Marathi, Hindi, and Telugu during Maharashtra Day celebrations. Apart from playing the lead role, Riteish also co-produced the film alongside wife Genelia Deshmukh under their banner, Mumbai Film Company.
The ensemble cast also featured Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Fardeen Khan, Sachin Khedekar, Jitendra Joshi, and Amol Gupte in key roles.
The film has reportedly crossed Rs 111 crore worldwide at the box office. The climax, which ends with Shivaji Maharaj defeating Afzal Khan, has also hinted at the possibility of a sequel in the future.
