Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale
A spiritual sequel awakening Swarajya ideals in modern Maharashtra.
Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale is a 2025 Indian Marathi-language socio-political drama film directed by Mahesh Manjrekar. It depicts the spirit of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj returning to modern Maharashtra to inspire farmers and youth after a young girl's father commits suicide. The film was released on 31 October 2025 and became a box-office bomb despite positive critical reception.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Mahesh Manjrekar
- Producer
- Rahul Puranik; Rahul Sugandh
- Cinematography
- Abhimanyu Dange
- Editing
- Rahul Bhatankar
- Music
- Hitesh Modak
- Studio
- The Great Maratha Entertainment
- Satya-Sai Films & Krizolh Films
- Zee Studios
- Released
- 31 October 2025
- Runtime
- 163 minutes
Facts from the source article.
Reception
Anub George of The Times of India gave 3 out of 5 stars, finding the first half emotional but the second half unfocused due to multiple antagonists. Aunupama Gunde Pudhari also rated it 3 out of 5 stars, noting that despite creative liberties by Mahesh Manjrekar, the film effectively portrays farmers' emotional reality. Santosh Bhingarde of Sakal awarded 4 out of 5 stars, praising Hitesh Modak's music and background score, Abhimanyu Dange's cinematography, and Manjrekar's brisk direction. Devendra Jadhav of Lokmat gave 3 out of 5 stars, stating that while action scenes are thrilling, their length weakens the core theme, and he noted pacing issues and technical flaws. Kalpeshraj Kubal of Maharashtra Times gave 4 out of 5 stars, praising Siddharth Bodke's portrayal of Shivaji Maharaj and the performances of Trisha Thosar, Mangesh Desai, Vikram Gaikwad, and Siddharth Jadhav, as well as the film's symbolism and socio-political commentary. Reshma Raikwar of Loksatta praised the action sequences, brisk narrative, cinematography, and sharp dialogues, calling it a grand film in Manjrekar's style.
Controversy
Everest Entertainment LLP alleged that the makers of the film Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale had copied their 2009 movie Mi Shivajiraje Bhosale Boltoy!. The company claimed it held full intellectual property rights to the earlier film following a 2013 agreement with director Mahesh Manjrekar, which supposedly transferred the rights to produce prequels, sequels, or other derivative works. In June 2025, Everest issued a public legal notice asserting sole ownership of the film’s intellectual property, including the script, music, negatives, and other underlying works, with worldwide rights lasting 60 years. The notice stated that no individual or company, including Manjrekar or other producers, could make agreements related to the film’s rights without Everest’s permission. The conflict arose over Punha Shivajiraje Bhosale, intended as a spiritual sequel. Everest sought to block the film’s release through the Bombay High Court. On 31 October 2025, Justice Amit S. Jamsandekar refused to halt the release, ruling that Everest had delayed filing the case despite knowing about the project since April 2025. The court noted that last-minute attempts to stop a film’s release should be discouraged. After examining evidence from both sides, the court found no substantial reproduction of the earlier film. It observed that the two films differed in theme and concept: the 2009 film dealt with a Maharashtrian man’s identity crisis in Mumbai, while the new film addressed farmers’ struggles and corruption. The court also ruled that commonly used Marathi phrases and references to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj could not be copyrighted, as they belong to the region’s shared cultural heritage.
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