Raja Shivaji

Amit Bhatia of ABP Majha rated 3.5 stars out of 5 stars and stated that the film adds pride to Maharashtra's legacy, with Riteish Deshmukh impressing through his detailed research, supported by impactful music from Ajay-Atul, making it an engaging and emotional cinematic experience despite minor flaws in VFX.

Gayatri Nirmal of Pinkvilla awarded 4 stars out of 5 stars, praised Raja Shivaji for approaching Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's story with visible respect and restraint, noting that the storytelling feels rooted and sincere, while also pointing out that some VFX portions feel average and occasionally pull viewers out of the experience.

Rachit Gupta, reviewing for Filmfare, gave Raja Shivaji 3 out of 5 stars and wrote that "this story demands a roar," but the film ultimately delivers "a dignified murmur."

Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in wrote "The 195-minute movie is epic in length but not in scope.

Rishabh Suri of Hindustan Times opined that "Raja Shivaji is a film that commands respect more than it commands engagement.

Shreyanka Mazumdar of News18 rated Raja Shivaji 3.5 out of 5 stars and wrote that the film is a "sincere and ambitious" historical drama driven by Riteish Deshmukh’s controlled performance and steady direction, with strong key sequences, effective music, and solid technical aspects, though its lengthy runtime and pacing issues slightly affect the overall impact.

Shreyas Pande of The Hindu wrote that Deshmukh "remains largely content with glorifying the king rather than inquiring into the nature of his glory" and observed that the efforts of making a conventional biopic convert the historical icon into a one-dimensional hero, fighting a generic good vs evil battle as the aesthetics genuflect in his honour.

Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave 2.5 stars out of 5 stars, praised Riteish Deshmukh and Sanjay Dutt's performances, and noted that it has an "ultra-colourful Amar Chitra Katha aesthetic" and follows a "black-and-white universe" of good versus evil, with "not very cleverly hidden" CGI adding to its comic-book feel.

Tanmayi Savadi of Times Now rated Raja Shivaji 3/5 stars and wrote that the film lacks extra cinematic punch, calling it a faithful and respectable tribute that follows the rulebook, but noting that it becomes one-toned after a point, with its impact weakening under the weight of the subject, as it stays on a surface level instead of exploring lesser-known anecdotes, even though the visual research is strong.