'Raja Shivaji': Riteish reveals how Salman Khan came on board
What's the story
Riteish Deshmukh, who is gearing up for the release of his upcoming film Raja Shivaji, recently revealed that superstar Salman Khan insisted on being a part of the project. The two actors have previously worked together in films like Ved and Lai Bhari. Deshmukh narrated how Khan expressed his desire to be involved in Raja Shivaji even before a proper role was finalized.
Actor's account
This is how Khan's involvement in 'Ved' happened
ETimes quoted Deshmukh as saying, "When I did Lai Bhari, Salman Khan was in it. At the time, he requested, 'I want to do a scene.' When I was working on Ved, I called him and said, 'Brother, I want to meet you.' He said, 'Done!' I said, 'When?' He said, 'For which role you want to meet, it's done?'" "He just asked me, 'How many days is the shoot?' I said, 'Two days' and he just said, 'Done.'"
Role confirmation
And this is how it went for 'Raja Shivaji'
However, the process was different for Raja Shivaji. Deshmukh revealed, "I didn't go to him for this film. We were together on New Year's." "He asked me when I was starting to shoot the movie. I said, 'It's starting this month.' He said, 'Which role am I playing?'" When Deshmukh told Khan that there wasn't a role for him, the superstar insisted, "No, no, no...you can't make the film without me, I have to be in it."
Film release
More about 'Raja Shivaji'
Raja Shivaji, a historical epic based on the life of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, is set to hit theaters on May 1. The film also stars Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Vidya Balan, Bhagyashree, Mahesh Manjrekar and Boman Irani in supporting roles. Khan will play Jiva Mahala, a loyal and brave Marathi warrior. It will face competition from Junaid Khan and Sai Pallavi's Ek Din and the Hollywood drama The Devil Wears Prada 2.