'Raja Shivaji': Vidya Balan was not the first choice for role of Badi Begum in Riteish Deshmukh starrer - Reports

Riteish Deshmukh's 'Raja Shivaji' has been receiving love from the audience in cinemas. The historical drama features an ensemble cast that also includes Vidya Balan. The actress plays the character of Badi Begum, the wife of Mohammed Adil Shah, the Sultan of Bijapur. However, did you know that she was not the first choice to play the role?Riteish Deshmukh's ambitious bilingual film 'Raja Shivaji' is the latest chapter in this story. According to a Free Press Journal report, Tabu was the first choice to play Badi Begum, also known as Tajul Mukkhidarat Badi Sahiba. However, date conflicts forced Tabu to decline, and Riteish turned to Vidya Balan, who agreed immediately. At the trailer launch, Vidya made her enthusiasm clear, saying she was not going to pass up the opportunity to do such a "challenging" role, especially in a bilingual production spanning Marathi and Hindi. This isn't the first time the baton has been passed this way. When 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' was being cast, Tabu again turned it down, but this time, by choice. Having delivered a celebrated dual performance as Anjulika and Manjulika in 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2', she felt there was "no challenge in doing the same thing" again and gracefully walked away. The makers then brought in both Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit to fill the void.Directed by Riteish Deshmukh, the film features the actor as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire and Swarajya. It also stars Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Sachin Khedekar, Vidya Balan, Amole Gupte, Bhagyashree, Genelia Deshmukh, Fardeen Khan, and more.The cast also includes Jitendra Joshi, Boman Irani, Mahesh Manjrekar, Ashok Samarth, Suresh Vishwakarma, and more. Salman Khan has a cameo appearance in the film as Jiva Mahala. The movie was released in cinemas on May 1, 2026.