Bombay HC dismisses PIL against Raja Shivaji title, no stay on film release

Days before its theatrical release, Raja Shivaji has cleared a legal hurdle. The Bombay High Court on Thursday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) that sought to stall the film over the omission of the honorific “Chhatrapati” from its title.

The ruling comes as relief to actor-filmmaker Riteish Deshmukh, whose Hindi-Marathi film is scheduled to release on May 1, 2026.

A Bench comprising Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam Ankhad held that the petition did not



raise any genuine public interest and appeared to be motivated.

The PIL, filed by the Sree Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Foundation, was moved just two days before the film’s release.

Rejecting the plea, the court observed, “This PIL is motivated, and it is quite apparent from the records as just two days before the release of the film, this PIL has been filed. In our opinion, the title of the movie in no manner is derogatory to the status of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.”