“Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is like a God to most people in Maharashtra. To be able to portray him onscreen has been an honor for me. It is a huge responsibility as well. I was born and grew up in Maharashtra. So I am well aware of his works and achievements as a king and also his impact on the common people. 14^th February will surely be Chhaava Diwas” said actor Vicky Kaushal while promoting his film Chhaava in Kolkata.

Vicky made a grand entry at the press conference where dancers grooved to the song of the film.

This film is based on a novel named Chhaava written by Shivaji Sawant.

Speaking at the press conference, Vicky Kaushal said “Raigad Fort was made by the production designer and it took them a year to make it. Nothing was made grand as is done in many Bollywood films. The size has been kept intact as that of the fort. We used to start the shoot by chanting Lord Shiva’s name. When I used to climb those stairs, I used to get emotional. We shot the coronation scene exactly on the same date when Sambhaji Maharaj was coronated. This was a great coincidence. But we felt that Maharaj was blessing us”.

Vicky Kaushal said that for every character, he had to either master a physical trait or learn a new language and many more. It depended according to the vision of the director and the needs of the particular character.

On completing ten years in the industry, the actor said “I am glad that the audiences have been so supportive and I am thankful to God for giving me such great work. When I started with Masaan ten years ago, I would have not thought that I would be playing such a great role in my tenth year. I want to continue doing such good work in the future too”.

Vicky Kaushal said that he was much inspired by the courage and valor of Sambhaji Maharaj. “He had to carry forward the legacy of Shivaji at the young age of 21 years. He knew many languages, used to write poetry, fought his first battle at age 16 and so much more. He was younger than me and yet he achieved so much. He is indeed an inspirational figure” added the actor.

The cast of the film consists of Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Rashmika Mandanna as Maharani Yesubai Bhonsale, Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb, Divya Dutta as Soyarabai, Diana Penty as Aurangzeb’s daughter, Ashutosh Rana as  Sarsenapati Hambirao Mohite and many others.

The music of this film has been composed by A. R. Rahman.

The film will be released on 14^th February.

Priyanka Dutta