T-Series backs Sandeep Singh's two-part historical epic starring Rishab Shetty as the Maratha king, with shooting set to begin in early 2027.
T-Series has officially stepped into The Pride of Bharat – Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the two-part historical epic that director Sandeep Singh has been building with Kannada star Rishab Shetty in the lead. Bhushan Kumar and his brother Krishan Kumar now produce the film alongside Sandeep Singh, with T-Series Films and Legend Studios jointly behind it and Gulshan Kumar's banner presenting the project.
The announcement came with a gesture that's already doing the rounds online. Bhushan Kumar presented Rishab Shetty with a century-old painting of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj to mark the collaboration, a nod to how the makers want this subject handled. Both Bollywood Hungama and Filmfare reported the moment as a sign of the "reverence" the team is bringing to a figure who still commands fierce emotional weight across Maharashtra and beyond.
What the film is actually about
The two parts will cover the defining battles, victories and sacrifices of Shivaji Maharaj's life, along with episodes that haven't had much screen time before. Expect the film to lean into his military strategy, his politics and the idea of Swarajya, the self-rule movement he's most associated with. The makers are talking up an expansive ensemble and a crew pulled from India and overseas, though casting beyond Shetty hasn't been locked down in public yet.
Rishi Virmani and Sandeep Singh have written the script. Rishab Shetty himself is a co-producer on the project, alongside Shiv Chanana and Kabiir Sadanand, which tells you the Kantara star has more than an acting stake here.
Bhushan Kumar's statement, carried by both outlets, leaned heavily on the sense of occasion. "Maharashtra and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj have given us a legacy to be proud of, and I believe it is our responsibility to honour that legacy through cinema and share it with the world," he said, adding that Sandeep Singh's narration left him with "a deep sense of responsibility" to get the story right. He called Shetty's casting the right combination to bring "the courage, vision and spirit of Swarajya" to the screen.
A warrior queen already attached
Bollywood Hungama separately reported that Bhumi Pednekar has signed on to play the warrior queen Belawadi Mallamma, suggesting the ensemble is already taking shape even if the full cast list hasn't been released. If that holds, it puts a mainstream Hindi actor inside a project that's a South-Hindi crossover built around Shetty's pan-India pull after Kantara.
The film is still in pre-production, and the makers are targeting a floor date in early 2027. That leaves plenty of runway, and plenty of time for the rest of the ensemble and the technical team to be unveiled. For a subject this sensitive and this scrutinised, how the makers handle the reveal of the supporting cast will matter almost as much as who's in the lead role.
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