People came to see Sambhaji Maharaj, not Vicky Kaushal, according to Mahesh Manjrekar Chhaava.
The recent comment by Mahesh Manjrekar about Chhaava has caused a lot of debate in the Bollywood industry. Vicky Kaushal’s movie Chhaava was the biggest Hindi hit of 2025, making over ₹800 crore around the world. But Manjrekar had a different view of its success.
In an interview with Mirchi Marathi, Mahesh Manjrekar said that people didn’t come to see Vicky Kaushal, but to see the legendary story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj play out on screen. He said that if people had only gone to see his movies because Vicky was famous, then his five previous movies, which didn’t do well, would have also been hits.
Vicky Kaushal’s Role in Chhaava:
Many people still praised Vicky Kaushal for his strong performance, even after the Mahesh Manjrekar Chhaava Remark. Vicky brought the brave Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj to life in the movie Chhaava by bringing his struggle, bravery, and patriotism to life. Of course, Mahesh’s comment shows that Maharashtra’s audience’s emotional connection to their history was a bigger part of why so many people came.
Maharashtra has always been behind Chhaava.
In his speech, Manjrekar said that Maharashtra, especially Pune, deserves 80 to 90 percent of the credit for the film’s success. His pride made him say, “My Maharashtra has saved the Hindi film industry.” He said that the huge respect and love that people in Maharashtra have for Sambhaji Maharaj was a big reason why Chhaava was such a huge success.
The numbers from the box office show this.
The numbers from the box office somewhat back up what Mahesh Manjrekar said about Chhaava. Sacnilk says Chhaava made over ₹600 crore in India and over ₹807.6 crore around the world. It was the highest-grossing Hindi film of 2025, beating out several Bollywood films in a tough year for the business.
Chhaava’s Cast and Crew
Chhaava has a great cast and was directed by Laxman Utekar. It was produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films. Yesubai Bhonsale is played by Rashmika Mandanna. She is Sambhaji Maharaj’s wife. Important parts are also played by Akshaye Khanna, Ashutosh Rana, and Divya Dutta. The movie was a visual and emotional spectacle thanks to its great story, strong performances, and stunning locations.
What Does This Mean for Hindi Film
The Chhaava Remark by Mahesh Manjrekar also draws attention to a significant trend: people want stories with deep cultural and historical roots instead of just star power. Bollywood learned from Chhaava that emotional connection and story are more important for box office success than being a celebrity.
Also Read: Chhaava Movie Location: Film Facts You Should Know
