Few periods in Indian history are as deeply woven into the country's cultural and emotional memory as the rise of the Maratha Empire. And within that period, few names continue to command the moral, political and spiritual weight that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and his son Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj do across generations of Indians.

It is into this living legacy that filmmaker MandarrKaadam has placed his upcoming historical feature, Rudransh – Legacy of a Great King, produced under the banner of OthBrok Production. After five years of pre-production research, the film is now moving into production and is targeting a release window of late 2026 or early 2027.

What distinguishes the project, even at this early stage, is the seriousness of its intent.

Two kings, one cinematic vision

Most Indian films set in the Maratha period have chosen to focus on either Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj or Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Rudransh takes a different approach. Inspired by the legacy of both kings — father and son, founder and inheritor — the film is being built to honour the continuity of vision that defined the early Maratha state.

It is a creative and historical decision that allows the film to engage with themes few period productions in recent years have fully explored: succession, loyalty, the weight of inheritance, the cost of conscience, and the long arc of legacy that connects one generation to the next.

“This story is not ours to invent. It is ours to honour.”  

— MandarrKaadam, Director-Producer  

 Five years of research, and a respect for scholarship

Kaadam and his team have spent five years in pre-production examining manuscripts, regional administrative records, royal correspondence, battlefield references and oral traditions preserved across centuries.

Throughout that process, the director has been vocal about the contribution of Indian historians whose work makes serious historical storytelling possible. “There are historians in India who have spent 25, 30, even 50 years on a single dynasty or region,” Kaadam has said. “Their work is the real foundation of any film like this. Our job is to honour that scholarship, not to bypass it.”

That position has earned the project quiet respect among scholars and culture observers who follow Indian historical cinema. “It is unusual to see a filmmaker explicitly credit the role of historians,” said a Maharashtra-based culture writer familiar with the project. “It does not happen often enough. Whether or not the film succeeds commercially, that intent is meaningful.”

Pan-India, in six languages

The cultural ambition of Rudransh is matched by its commercial ambition. The film will release in Marathi, Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam — a six-language pan-India rollout designed to ensure that audiences across the country can engage with the story in the language they speak at home.

A worldwide release is also planned, taking the legacy of the Maratha kings beyond Indian borders. The title track of the film has been recorded by Sukhwinder Singh, the Oscar, Grammy and National Award-winning playback singer.

Production scale and timeline

Principal photography for Rudransh is scheduled across 2026, with locations spanning Maharashtra and a significant international leg in Angola. The film is being mounted as a big-budget production with full theatrical scale.

Casting for the lead and antagonist roles has not yet been announced. The team has confirmed only that 'industry-leading names' have been approached for both, with further announcements expected in the coming months.

A cultural moment, well-timed

The film arrives at a moment when the Indian audience has clearly signalled an appetite for serious treatments of the Maratha period. The runaway success of Chhaava in 2025 and Raja Shivaji in 2026 has shown that audiences are not only willing to engage with this history, but are actively seeking it.

Kaadam's project is being positioned to honour that moment with substance. If the film delivers on its ambitions, it could become not just another period drama, but a defining cinematic tribute to two of India's most enduring figures.

 ABOUT THE FILM

 Rudransh – Legacy of a Great King is an upcoming pan-India big-budget historical feature film inspired by the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Directed and produced by MandarrKaadam (Mandar Kadam) under the banner of OthBrok Production, the film will release in Marathi, Hindi, English, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, with shooting planned across Maharashtra and Angola through 2026. The film targets a late-2026 or early-2027 release window. 

 Official: mandarrkaadam.com

Production: othbrokproduction.com