Shahid Kapoor Was This Close To Becoming Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj! But Bollywood Had Other Plans. Imagine him in royal armour, galloping on a horse as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, sword glinting, eyes fierce. But now that cinematic dream just got shelved. Director Amit Rai’s ambitious historical biopic starring Shahid has been paused indefinitely, and trust us, it’s not for lack of passion, it’s because Bollywood’s behind-the-scenes drama is wilder than any script.
Amit Rai reveals why Shahid Kapoor’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj got Shelved!
Amit Rai, the man who gave us OMG 2 and raked in ?180 crore at the box office, is not here for the industry politics anymore. In a candid chat with Mid-Day, the filmmaker let it all out, saying the system is “so cruel” that even blockbuster success isn’t enough to greenlight meaningful cinema. In his words, “The system is so cruel. Even after making a successful film like OMG 2 that earned ?180 crore, it’s still not enough. Directors face many hurdles—from casting and production to management. You can live with a story for five years, and then someone dismisses it in minutes with a short review.”
Shahid as Shivaji? Not Happening (For Now, At Least)
Shahid Kapoor was all set to play the legendary warrior king in a film that promised grandeur, grit, and goosebumps. But thanks to backstage drama and commitment issues from the system, that vision has been tossed aside like a rejected audition tape. Painful? Very.
Instead of waiting for Bollywood to grow a spine, Rai is taking matters into his own hands. He’s assembling an international squad with Hungarian cinematographer M1te Herba and Hollywood stunt wizard Isaac Hamon (motion-capture boss). The director is cooking up something fresh, fierce, and fully under his control.
While some stars ghost Rai’s calls for truth-telling scripts, others show up with full support. Pankaj Tripathi is already locked in for the next project, and Akshay Kumar? He’s interested too. That’s what happens when you create content with soul; the real ones stay.
Amit Rai didn’t hold back. He shaded Bollywood’s obsession with love stories and box office fluff, saying only a handful of actors actually want to tell stories that matter. He shared, “Some actors only want to do what sells. A few were honest with me. Many weren’t interested in stories that speak the truth about society and preferred love stories instead,”
What’s next for Shahid?
Meanwhile, Shahid was last seen in Deva with Pooja Hegde and is reportedly starring in Cocktail 2, potentially starring alongside Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna.
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