Cinema is not just entertainment; it is the mirror and the hammer that shapes society

It doesn’t shout slogans; it whispers truths through the innocent eyes of a child, making its message all the more powerful.

Young Khalid, a 5th-standard student, faces teasing and isolation in school. His classmates, drawing from historical narratives, mockingly call him “Afzal Khan”, the legendary adversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. Hurt and curious, Khalid embarks on a personal journey to understand the great Maratha king.

Through school lessons, conversations with elders, and his own imagination, he discovers not just the warrior’s battles but his vision of inclusive, tolerant, and syncretic rule that benefited all subjects regardless of faith. The film humanizes Shivaji Maharaj, portraying him as an ideal of pluralism in today’s fractured realities, while gently addressing contemporary divides through a child’s pure lens.

The script by Raj Pritam More is simple yet deeply layered, feel-good without being preachy, educational without being textbook-dry. It deftly weaves historical glimpses with present-day schoolyard realities, family warmth and quiet moments of reflection.

The narrative flows at a steady pace, balancing emotional beats, light humor, and thoughtful dialogues. It avoids heavy confrontation, instead choosing empathy and understanding as its weapons. The performances, especially young Krish’s natural innocence and supporting turns by Priyadarshan Jadhav, Bharat Ganeshpure, Sushama Deshpande, and others, breathe life into it. The direction keeps it grounded, visual, and rooted in Maharashtra’s cultural soil.

Raj Pritam More is no overnight filmmaker. A real artist and accomplished painter from Akola who is Mumbai-based, he has long toiled in the world of fine arts; two-time National Award winner, including for visual arts and his debut short film Khisa.

After years of dedication on canvas, he transitioned to cinema with a National Award-winning short as Best Debut Director. He deeply understands the strength of his art form. This is evident in every frame of Khalid Ke Shivaji’ the painter’s eye for composition, color, and emotional depth shines through.

An artist is the voice of conscience that society must not curb, no matter the therapy of noise, opposition, or challenges, the film faced its share of controversy and censorship battles over its secular, pluralistic portrayal of Shivaji. True creators like More always stand out.

They persist not for applause but for truth. This film was launched with bigger theatrical ambitions, but its honest core ensures that on OTT, it will reach the right masses, the thinkers, the youth, the families seeking reflection over spectacle. OTT democratizes access, allowing this constructive narrative to touch hearts far and wide without gatekeeping.

Films like Khalid Ke Shivaji are the soul of democracy. In addition to raising voices against division, they offer constructive alternatives; dialogue, empathy, and shared heritage.

They remind us that history is not just about conquests but about the cultural zeitgeist of tolerance and fraternity that Shivaji shaped. In today’s polarized times, this child-centric approach is refreshing and necessary. It educates without alienating, unites without erasing identities.

Marathi cinema, with its strength in rooted storytelling, needs more such gems. We must appreciate and support films made with heart, honesty, and artistic integrity; made over formulaic noise. Raj More’s journey from painter to director is proof that authentic voices endure.

Watch Khalid Ke Shivaji for its warmth, its message, and its quiet power. It doesn’t just tell a story; it plants seeds of better understanding. Such cinema deserves our loudest applause and widest reach.