Fact check: Not Vicky Kaushal! Mahesh Babu was the first choice for Chhaava?
Was the role of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj first offered to a superstar from South India before it went to Vicky Kaushal in Chhaava? A lot has been discussed about this in the past few weeks. However, the truth was apparently revealed by director Laxman Utekar even before the release of the historical film.
New Delhi: The first superhit of Indian cinema in 2025 - Chhaava - set the cash registers ringing at the Box Office upon its theatrical release. In the historical film, Bollywood actor Vicky Kaushal portrayed Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second king of the Maratha Empire and the eldest son of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His compelling performance in the much-talked-about movie earned him immense praise from viewers of all age groups.
Amid the buzz, claims surfaced on social media that Vicky was not the first choice for the flick and that a South Indian superstar was initially approached for the project. But how true were these talks? Well, let's find out!
According to TV9 Hindi, citing a Telugu360.com report, these rumours were entirely baseless. Director Laxman Utekar himself put an end to all speculation.
The renowned filmmaker clarified that Vicky was always his first choice for this period drama and no other actor was ever considered. Laxman revealed this during the pre-release event itself.
He was quoted as saying that Vicky was the hero of Chhaava, even in his dreams. Laxman added that any director could make a great film with an actor like Vicky, as he is not just a brilliant performer but also a wonderful human being.
Chhaava: Final star cast
The film featured Rashmika Mandanna as Yesubai Bhonsale, Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb, Diana Penty as Zinat-un-Nissa Begum and Ashutosh Rana as Hambirrao Mohite. It also starred Divya Dutta, Vineet Kumar Singh, Santosh Juvekar and Kiran Karmarkar in pivotal roles.
Said to be based on the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant, the film was produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films. It boasted music by Academy Award-winning composer AR Rahman, with lyrics penned by critically acclaimed lyricists Irshad Kamil and Kshitij Patwardhan.
Chhaava was released in theaters on February 14, 2025, coinciding with the joyous occasion of Valentine's Day. It reportedly received the biggest ever opening for a historical Hindi film.
With inputs from Raghav Jaitly!