Chhaava: Vicky Kaushal recreates Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's coronation ceremony; here's how!

Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's majestic coronation comes alive in Laxman Utekar’s Chhaava featuring Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna.

Vicky Kaushal in Chhaava

Laxman Utekar took on the daunting task of directing an epic biography of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj for his debut historical drama. Vicky Kaushal acted out the adaptation of Shivaji Sawant's Marathi novel, Chhaava in response to this wish. The crowning ceremony of Sambhaji in 1681 is a pivotal moment in the storyline of the biopic, which centres on the reign of the Maratha monarch and his battles with the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. The filmmaker reportedly filmed a lavish musical number in May, featuring Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna, and seven hundred dancers to represent the ceremony.

Lavish musical number filmed for the coronation scene

A source told Mid Day that rumour has it that production designers Subrata Chakraborty and Amit Ray constructed a massive set at Film City based on the Raigad fort. The four-day shoot took place at the location. AR Rahman composed the song.

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A source reports that the Raigad Fort hosted the official coronation on January 16, 1681. A London newspaper published a piece praising the lively coronation ceremony during the research phase of Chhaava. With the help of the article, the filmmaker was able to recreate the occurrence. While Yesubai performs the Rajabhishek and aarti, Vicky's Sambhaji conducts the yagna and thread ceremony. His kingdom rejoices as he finally assumes the throne.

Traditional Powada poetry and AR Rahman’s musical composition

The song is based on Powada, a kind of Marathi poetry that praises rulers, according to the source. Rumour has it that Rahman stayed faithful to the subject by composing the song using traditional instruments like the dholki, tuntune, and sambal.

Vijay Ganguly, who had previously choreographed the Stree 2 songs, assembled a cast of more than 1,500 to represent the audience and turn it into a spectacular event. In this scene, the whole town of Raigad turns out to celebrate Sambhaji's coronation. While the song opens with Vicky's character celebrating with his subjects, Rashmika and he eventually join in on the fun. The remainder of the dance numbers occur solely in the film's background.

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