Riteish Deshmukh Gets Relief As Bombay HC Rejects PIL On Raja Shivaji Title, Says It's 'Not Derogatory'

The Bombay High Court has dismissed a public interest litigation that tried to stop the film "Raja Shivaji" from being released or shown on any platform, ruling that the title does not insult or lower the status of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in any way.

The petition was rejected on Thursday by a bench of Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad, which held that the plea did not show any real public injury and that objections to the film’s name alone could not justify blocking its release or broadcast.

Bombay High Court PIL Raja Shivaji title dispute

During the hearing, the bench underlined that there is already a statutory system in place for films, noting that the Central Board of Film Certification is responsible for examining and certifying movies before public exhibition, and therefore a court should not interfere lightly with that process in a PIL.

The judges also recorded that the petitioner’s own documents accepted that "Raja" means a sovereign ruler and protector of people, and further acknowledged that Shivaji Maharaj was a sovereign king, leading the court to state that the word used in the title could not logically be treated as degrading.

The film "Raja Shivaji", starring Ritesh Deshmukh and based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, was earlier described as slated for release on May 1, Friday, while the court was informed that the project had been announced in February 2024 and is now scheduled to hit theatres on May 1, 2026.

Film detail	Information
Title	Raja Shivaji
Lead actor	Ritesh Deshmukh
Subject	Life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj
Announcement	February 2024
Planned release	May 1, 2026

Bombay High Court PIL Raja Shivaji timing and arguments

The petition was filed by Shree Shivaji Maharaj Foundation just two days before the planned release, prompting the bench to question the timing and purpose of the litigation, and to ask whether the challenge was really about protecting public interest or about individual objections to the title.

The foundation argued that using the word "Raja" instead of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s full title hurt dignity, with the petitioner’s advocate stating, "I am aggrieved as it demeans Chhatrapati. 'Chhatrapati' is a Sanskrit word meaning supreme king, king of kings," while also seeking an order to stop the release, screening or broadcast of the film.

The bench pressed the petitioner on the basis of the objection, asking, "Has it been released? How can you say it depicts him in a bad light?" and the petitioner then clarified that the complaint was only about the name of the movie and not about its unseen content or storyline.

At one stage, the court asked about the petitioner’s record of social work, remarking, "You are trying to gain unnecessary publicity," while advocate Shardul Singh, representing the producers, argued that the PIL was "motivated" and stressed that it had been filed barely days before the commercial release schedule.

Singh told the bench that the story is set before Shivaji Maharaj’s coronation as Chhatrapati and said a disclaimer in the film explains that it covers the period before the coronation, so the use of the word "Raja" reflects the timeline shown on screen rather than any attempt to reduce the historical stature.

Delivering the order, the bench stated, "In our opinion, the title of the movie is in no manner derogatory," and held that the plea did not represent a genuine public cause, leaving the certification process with the Central Board of Film Certification to run its course while allowing "Raja Shivaji" to proceed towards release.