starrer was released in theatres on February 14, 2025. Directed by Laxman Utekar, the movie received rave reviews from the audience. Inspired by the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Vicky’s performance has been tremendously praised by moviegoers and continues to perform well even at the box office. Amid this, Utekar was slapped with a 100-crore defamation suit.
As per the reports, the descendants of Maratha warriors Ganoji and Kanhoji Shirke have filed a 100-crore defamation suit against Laxman Utekar. Laxmikant Raje Shirke, the 13th descendant of Ganoji and Kanhoji, filed the lawsuit claiming that Chhaava has misrepresented historical facts and his ancestors. Laxmikant accused Utekar of damaging his family’s reputation and filed a defamation case. A legal notice was also sent to the director. As reported by News 18, in the movie, Ganoji and Kanhoji, who are Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s trusted allies, betray him and side with Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
A report by Pudhari mentioned that Laxman Utekar apologised to Bhushan Shirke, one of the descendants of the family and “unintentionally” hurt their sentiments. In his apology, the Chhaava director said, “We have only mentioned the names of Ganoji and Kanhoji in Chhaava, without referring to their surname. We’ve also made sure to not disclose the village they belonged to. Our intention was not to hurt the sentiments of the Shirke family. I sincerely apologise if Chhaava caused any discomfort.”
Meanwhile, along with Vicky Kaushal, the historical period drama also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, Divya Dutta, and Ashutosh Rana.
