Sandeep Singh: Nobody better than Ranveer to play Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

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Last week, days before Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's birth anniversary, Sandeep Singh announced his next directorial venture, The Pride of Bharat - Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Through the biopic, he wants to take the story of the famed Maratha warrior king across the country. "People don't know [enough] about Shivaji, even though they may have heard of him. This kind of historical drama needs a lot of research," starts the producer-turned-director, who plans to mount the project on a lavish scale and release it in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi.

The obvious question is - whom does he wish to cast in the titular role? "My first choice would be Ranveer Singh as I have worked with him in Bajirao Mastani [2015] and Ram Leela [2013]. When nobody was ready to shave their head for Bajirao, he went ahead and did it. That is the dedication we require to play Shivaji Maharaj. There's nobody better than him to play Shivaji. He was born and brought up in Mumbai, and knows Marathi too." The director, who is fine-tuning the script, will approach the actor after he is ready. "I'll go to him only with a bound script. I'm sure Ranveer will say yes. Who will say no to play the legendary hero?"

The Maratha king's mother Jijabai was known to have influenced his values and ideals. The film, which will roll by the year-end, will shed light on her too. "I will ensure that every part of his life story is captured, including how he started going to war at the age of 13 and his sacrifices. If Sridevi was alive, I would've requested her to play Jijabai. But now, my ideal choice is Madhuri Dixit-Nene. She is a powerful actor with a strong persona and vast experience."