Bombay High Court rejects PIL against title Raja Shivaji, no ban on film release
The Bombay High Court refused to stay its release due to objections over the title Raja Shivaji. The bench said the PIL filed late was motivated and found nothing derogatory in the name of the film.
A few days before its theatrical release, Raja Shivaji A legal hurdle has been cleared. The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a stay on the film for removing the honorific “Chhatrapati” from its title.
The decision has brought relief to actor-filmmaker Riteish Deshmukh, whose Hindi-Marathi film is scheduled to release on May 1, 2026.
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Court finds no public reason
A division bench of Chief Justice Shri Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad said that the petition does not raise any genuine public interest and appears to be motivated.
The PIL filed by Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Foundation was filed just two days before the release of the film.
Dismissing the petition, the court said, “This PIL is motivated, and it is absolutely clear from the record that this PIL has been filed just two days before the release of the film. In our opinion, the title of the film is in no way derogatory to the status of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”
What was argued in the petition
The petitioner had sought a stay on the release, screening and exhibition of Raja Shivaji, arguing that removing the title “Chhatrapati” was derogatory and hurts the sentiments of the followers of the 17th century Maratha ruler.
It also urged the court to direct the title to be changed to “Chhatrapati Raja Shivaji” and asked the Central Board of Film Certification to re-examine the title of the film in line with the certification guidelines.
Makers’ reply in court
Appearing for the producers, lawyer Shardul Singh said the film depicts the life of Shivaji Maharaj before his coronation as “Chhatrapati” in 1674 AD. He informed the court that a disclaimer to this effect had been included in the film and had been cleared by the CBFC.
He also questioned the timing of the petition, pointing out that while the project was announced in February 2024, its release date of May 1, 2026 was made public in 2025.
The bench further noted that the petitioner had relied on information obtained from Wikipedia to argue that the title was defamatory. It also underlined the delay in approaching the court, noting that the challenge did not establish a legitimate public cause.
result of the case
In the case Shri Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Foundation vs. Union of India and Others, the High Court ultimately refused to stop the release of the film, saying that the title did not dilute the status of Shivaji Maharaj.
Raja ShivajiCo-written, directed by and starring Riteish Deshmukh, is set to release in theaters as per schedule. The cast includes Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jeetendra Joshi and Amol Gupte, with Salman Khan making a cameo.