Raja Shivaji traces the rise of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj as he builds the idea of Swaraj while fighting powerful forces like the Mughals and Nizams. The film follows his transformation from a determined young leader into a warrior king, blending political strategy, battlefield intensity, and emotional connections with his family and people.
Directed and led by Riteish Deshmukh, the film is mounted on a grand scale with clear intent to celebrate Shivaji Maharaj’s legacy. While it delivers powerful moments and visual spectacle, the storytelling lacks consistency, especially in the first half. The second half improves significantly with tighter action and emotional payoff.
Riteish Deshmukh delivers a sincere and restrained performance, focusing on conviction rather than exaggeration. Sanjay Dutt as Afzal Khan stands out with a commanding and menacing presence. Abhishek Bachchan adds gravitas as Sambhu Raje.
Bhagyashree and Genelia Deshmukh provide emotional strength, while Vidya Balan adds intensity. Salman Khan’s cameo adds star value.
The film shines in action choreography and scale. Battle sequences are raw and immersive. However, CGI and VFX inconsistencies in early portions reduce impact. Production design is grand but sometimes overpowers storytelling.
Composed by Ajay-Atul, the music is one of the film’s strongest elements, elevating emotional and heroic moments effectively.
The film suffers from pacing issues due to its long runtime. Overuse of slow motion and repeated transitions affect flow. A tighter edit, especially in the first half, would have made a big difference.
The film tries to balance historical storytelling with cinematic spectacle but leans too heavily on scale over narrative clarity. It works best when it focuses on Shivaji’s ideology and emotional core. However, unnecessary emphasis on extended sequences and relationships dilutes the impact. With sharper writing, this could have been a far more compelling historical epic.
Story: Rachit Ram, aka Ramu (Raj Tarun), a well-read youngster and the would-be heir and CEO of the Parasuram Group, returns from London. However, a clause in the company’s by-laws forces him to live as a seemingly ordinary man for a hundred days. Arriving in a small village near Rajahmundry, he wins the hearts of the villagers with his inherent principles and attitude. Findin
Read More →
Plot: Veeru, also known as Eera Babu, returns from the USA to his native village hoping to marry his childhood sweetheart. But his plans collapse when he discovers she is already engaged to someone else. Devastated, Veeru gets drunk and unknowingly spends a night near an abandoned fort rumored to be haunted. What begins as a random incident soon pulls him into a deeper mystery involving the fort, its hidden past, and a supernatural presence that changes his life. Overview: Raakaasa, directed by
Read More →
Plot: Varun (Naresh Agastya), son of a wealthy industrialist (Suman), dreams of becoming a musician despite his father’s wish for him to handle the family empire. His passion leads him to Meghana (Rabiya Khatoon), a software employee. Their unexpected bond transforms their lives, while Varun struggles between love, music, and family expectations. Over
Read More →
Razakar, a retelling of the bloodbath engulfed in Hyderabad owing to the tyranny of the Nizam rule, is directed by Yata Satyanarayana. The film is produced by Gudur Narayan Reddy and it hit the theaters today. Here's our review of the film. Story: Razakar is essentially the narrative of the people who, prior to September 17, 1948, rose up in Hyderabad state, against the oppressive rule of the Nizam and the anarchy of the Razakars. The film covers the bloodbath t
Read More →
Plot Sagar, a young man from the remote Godapalli Lanka, is a die-hard fan of superstar Surya. He falls in love with Mahalakshmi, but her father belittles him and rejects their relationship. Determined to prove his worth, Sagar challenges himself to build a grand movie theatre in his village, which lacks even basic facilities like electricity. When everything begins to fall in place, Sagar unexpectedly sells the theatre and sends the money to his favourite hero Surya. Why he takes this decision,
Read More →
Plot Ojas Gambheera (Pawan Kalyan), raised by the Black Dragon Society in Japan, becomes a dreaded gangster in Bombay. His journey through power, betrayal, and return to Bombay to face Omi Bhau (Emraan Hashmi) forms the story. Themes of loyalty, crime, and redemption drive the narrative. Overview Th
Read More →
Plot The story begins with the Kadamba dynasty ruler’s ruthless conquests for land and water, leading him to Kantara, a mystical land guarded by divine powers. Decades later, King Vijayendra (Jayaram) rules Bhangra, with his son Kulasekhara (Gulshan Devaiah) crowned king and daughter Kanakavathi (Rukmini Vasanth) overseeing the treasury. In Kantara, Berme (Rishab Shetty) emerges as a visionary leader striving to
Read More →
Om Bheem Bush which marks the coming together of Sree Vishnu, Priyadarshi, and Rahul Ramakrishna has hit the theaters today amidst decent hype. Let us see what the film has to offer. Story: Krishnakanth(Vishnu) Vinay(Priyadarshi) and Madhav(Rahul) are three over-the-top individuals who claim to be scientists. They set foot in a scarce village in the name of an experiment but find themselves in the midst of a black magic conspiracy which turns their lives
Read More →
Plot: Maargan follows Dhruv (Vijay Antony), an ADGP in Mumbai who is devastated by the murder of his daughter by a serial killer. He soon learns of another similar case in Chennai and transfers there unofficially to investigate. The killer uses a drug that blackens the skin of the victim, and as Dhruv dives deeper into the investigation, he narrows down the suspect to Tamilarivu (Ajay Dhishan), a swimmer. The plot thickens w
Read More →
Netflix original series, Rana Naidu marks the coming together of Daagubati duo Venkatesh and Rana. The series premiered on Netflix earlier and here's our review of it. Story: Rana is a fixer. His name is involved with every major scandal in the film industry. While he isn't the one actually involved with these scandals, he is the one who settles them and makes hardships go away for the commissioned parties. He now has to battle his inner demons as his
Read More →
