Devesh Sharma of Filmfare rated 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and noted that Chhaava succeeds in delivering a high-intensity action film, anchored by Vicky Kaushal's powerhouse performance.Read at source
Chhaava 2025
Synopsis
Chhaava
Chhaava (transl. Lion cub) is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language epic historical action film based on the life of Sambhaji, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire, who is played by Vicky Kaushal. An adaptation of the Marathi novel Chhava by Shivaji Sawant, it is directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan under Maddock Films. The cast also includes Akshaye Khanna and Rashmika Mandanna.
- Director
- Laxman Utekar
- Release
- 14 Feb 2025
- Studio
- Maddock Films
- Run time
- 161 min
- Language
- Hindi
Reviews
10 Indian-media reviews, grouped by reception.
Critics' consensus
Mixed
Critics' aggregate for Chhaava is 63/100 from 11 scored critic/publication reviews including Rotten Tomatoes.
Synthesized by AI (gpt-5-codex-omdb-enricher) from 12 source-backed reviews — verify against the linked sources.Common praise
- performances
- writing
- visual craft
- emotional impact
Positive 10
Zee News gave 4 stars out of 5 stars and wrote "Chhaava is much more than just an action-packed period drama; it's a film that resonates with its historical significance while maintaining its emotional core."Read at source
Kusumika Das of Times Now awarded 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and wrote "While Utekar’s storytelling could have been tighter, his attempt is commendable.Read at source
Nishad Thaivalappil of News18 rated the film 3.5 out of 5 and the reviewer highlights Vicky Kaushal's outstanding portrayal of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and praises the film for effectively capturing his legacy.Read at source
Pooja Biraia of The Week rated 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and wrote "The film showcases regality and grandeur, adrenaline-pumping action sequences and punchy dialogues, but interestingly, it does all of that and more, while ensuring it doesn't lose track of the plot and the narrative that runs beautifully across all its frames."Read at source
Prasanna Zore of Rediff rated the film 4 out of 5, writing "Chhaava deserves 2 stars for the historically half-baked film that it is, but 4 stars just for its attempt on making a film on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj."Read at source
Pratikshya Mishra of The Quint gave it 2.5 stars and commented that "Unlike its protagonist, who often runs into battle like a man possessed even when the odds seem stacked against him, the film simply wasn’t brave enough to take that leap."Read at source
Renuka Vyavahare of The Times of India have 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and wrote "Chhaava’s excellence lies in its gripping second half and a terrific climax."Read at source
Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV gave 2.5 stars out of 5 and said that "The film, has far greater depth than the top-heavy treatment that it deploys India order to pay tribute to Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj."Read at source
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express, gave 2.5 out of 5 rating and wrote "Vicky Kaushal is fully committed in Laxman Utekar’s ultra-loud, ultra-violent, and exhausting film."Read at source
Media & trailers
Verified video records attached to this title.
Details
Soundtrack
- Jaane Tu Arijit Singh
- Aaya Re Toofan A. R. Rahman, Vaishali Samant
- Zinda Rahey Hiral Viradia, A. R. Rahman
- Teri Chaahat Jonita Gandhi, Seeta Qasemi
- The Roar MC Heam, Nakul Abhyankar
- Rudra Nakul Abhyankar
- The Crown Mahsa Ahmadi, Nooshin Ghayoor
Technical specs
- Release date
- 14 Feb 2025
- Run time
- 161 min
- Language
- Hindi
- Country
- IN
- Director
- Laxman Utekar
- Studio
- Maddock Films
- Budget
- ₹90–130 crore
- Distributor
- Pen Marudhar, Yash Raj Films
- Certificate
- TV-MA
Trivia
- Vicky Kaushal plays the role of Sambhaji, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire, in the film Chhaava.
- The film was adapted from the Marathi novel Chhava written by Shivaji Sawant.
- Pre-production for the film began in April 2023, with filming running from October 2023 to May 2024.
- The film score and soundtrack were composed by A. R. Rahman, with lyrics by Irshad Kamil and Kshitij Patwardhan.
- Chhaava was released in theatres on 14 February 2025 in both standard and IMAX formats.
- The film earned between ₹797.34 crore and ₹809 crore, ranking as the third-highest-grossing Indian film of 2025.
Tags
Hindi Cinema2025Hindi FilmReleasedHindi