Chhatrapati Shivaji

1952 156’[M]/170’[H] b&w Marathi/Hindi? d/s/co-lyr Bhalji Pendharkar pc Prabhakar Chitra co-lyr P. Sawalram, Shailendra c G. Shinde m C. Ramchandra lp Chandrakant, P.Y. Altekar[M], Prithviraj Kapoor[H], Gajanan Jagirdar, Leela Chandragiri, Lalita Pawar, Ranjana, Ratnamala, Vanamala, Baburao Pendharkar, Master Vithal, Krishnarao Chonkar, Jaishankar Danve, Sureshnath, Vasantrao Pahelwan, Lata Mangeshkar

Pendharkar’s biopic of his idol, 17th-C. Maratha emperor Shivaji (Chandrakant), presented as the founder of India’s first Hindu kingdom. The film chronicles Shivaji’s birth at Shivneri, the evolution of his Dev-Desh-Dharam (God, Country and Religion) ethic, his unification of the Maratha people and his celebrated encounters with the Adil Shahi king of Bijapur and with Shahista Khan, the uncle of Mughal King Aurangzeb (Jagirdar). Shivaji’s capture by the Mughals and his escape from Agra are also shown. The film establishes the definitive version of the popular iconography clustering around Shivaji’s heroic persona (cf. the Marathi historical novels of Ranjit Desai or Vasant Kanetkar’s stage historicals). Marathi stage actor and film-maker Altekar played Raja Jaisingh, with Kapoor taking the role in Hindi.

Film