Recently, Mahesh Manjrekar announced his next flabbergasting Marathi project titled Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Saat. And now he created a buzz over the internet by revealing that Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar will be playing the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the movie.
However, the actor is facing heavy backlash over it.
On Tuesday, taking to Instagram Akshay Kumar unveiled his look as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj from the director’s project which will be produced by Vaseem Qureshi.
Revealing the new look on his Instagram, he wrote,
”Today I am starting the shooting of the Marathi film ‘Vedat Marathe Veer Daudale Sat’ in which I am lucky to be able to play the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Ji. I will do my best by taking inspiration from her life and the blessing of Mother Jijau! Keep your blessings on us.”
आज मराठी फ़िल्म ‘वेडात मराठे वीर दौड़ले सात’ की शूटिंग शुरू कर रहा हूँ जिसमें छत्रपति शिवाजी महाराज जी की भूमिका कर पाना मेरे लिये सौभाग्य है।मैं उनके जीवन से प्रेरणा लेकर और माँ जिजाऊ के आशीर्वाद से मेरा पूरा प्रयास करुंगा !
आशीर्वाद बनाए रखियेगा। pic.twitter.com/MC50jCdN8Z— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) December 6, 2022
While his die-hard fans and admirers congratulated him, a lot of people expressed their disappointment with the casting choice.
Just in a few minutes, Netizens started mentioning actor Sharad Kelkar who had essayed the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the 2020 film Tanhaji. One netizen commented,
”Sharad Kelkar is the only one who can perfectly play Maharaj”.
The comment section got flooded with these types of comments in an instant.
On the other hand, some users’ opinionized on Akshay Kumar’s lean physique is not going well with the grand stature of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. They also believed Sharad Kelkar would have been an option for the character.
Have a look at all these tweets and reactions.
Akshay looks very lean. Sharad gets the physique right.
— Gautam (@singh_expresss) December 6, 2022
The only modern day actor who can give justice to this role other than Dr.Amol Kolhe is Sharad Kelkar. https://t.co/Zvp5syrYRz pic.twitter.com/PawmVSMeAi
— anurag🇲🇦 (@anuragfcbm) December 6, 2022
Sharad Kelkar would have nailed it. pic.twitter.com/wMMOrZ3fu8
— αdil (@ixadilx) December 6, 2022
Sharad Kelkar as a chatrapati shivaji maharaj>Canadian @akshaykumar pic.twitter.com/9n6bdDAZD0
— Ř𝓲ⓣ𝑒𝔰𝐇 ʸ𝔞𝕕𝔞𝐕 (@AdianRitesh1) December 6, 2022
I hope this time we will see Chhatrapati Shivaji on screen and not Akshay Kumar. Hope you allocate enough time and efforts to be like him and do better than Sharad Kelkar
— N J V (@NeeravVyas2) December 6, 2022
Maza nahi aaya !
Lag hi nahi rha Maharaaj Ko represent Kiya ja rha hai.
Sharad Kelkar would have been a good choice for this epic role.
His voice also gives the audience goose bumps.#ChhatrapatiShivajiMaharaj— bring_critic (@iamshubham2796) December 6, 2022
Sharad Kelkar will be the best fit for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's role. Please don't do this, you wouldn't be able to do justice to this role. You neither have the looks nor the voice of our great maratha 💪
— Tomato 🍅 (@Gaurav58713356) December 6, 2022
Earlier, Akshay Kumar essayed the role of Prithviraj Chauhan, and the movie brutally failed at the box office, and he also faced criticism for the same.