Lion cub) is a 2025 Indian Hindi-language historical action film based on the life of Sambhaji Maharaj, 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.

Overpowering the beast by splitting open its jaws with his bare hands, he gets out of the chamber and is shown to win a duel with Khan Zamaan.

While skeptical, Sambhaji uncovers covert communications between his stepmother, Soyarabai, and the prince - a conspiracy to overthrow him is revealed, and the traitors are executed beneath an elephant's crushing weight.

Internal dissent weakens Sambhaji ranks as jagirdars (feudal lords) defect to the Mughals, prompting him to convene a royal council.

As many warriors fall, key Maratha leaders Santaji Ghorpade and Dhanaji Jadhav are smuggled out to continue the resistance, while an outnumbered Sambhaji fights until his capture.

That's when I started writing and the idea of Chhaava came to me.In 2021, Laxman Utekar told Dinesh Vijan that he wanted to make a film with Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna.

[18][19][20] Utekar and his team spent a year researching the 17th-century Maratha era, travelling to historical towns like Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Ratnagiri, Pune, Nashik, and Paithan.

[21] Sheetal Sharma served as costume designer, sourcing authentic Paithani sarees and restored 500-year-old borders for Rashmika Mandanna's character, Yesubai.

[30] Utekar mentioned that Kaushal would undergo four months of training in sword fighting, horse riding, and that shooting would begin once they were satisfied with his preparation.

[32] He was originally cast as Ganoji Shirke, but later, director Laxman Utekar met with him in his office and offered him the role of Rayaji Malge instead.

Gary Brown and Simon Frame from Assemblage and Somesh Samit Ghosh from ReDefine served as the VFX supervisors for the film.

[52] On 11 February 2025, Pinkvilla reported that Ajay Devgn was hired to provide a voiceover for the film, completing his dubbing in the final week.

The CBFC required certain modifications, including the replacement of dialogues in the first half and the removal of a scene featuring Maratha warriors in sarees.

Additionally, the CBFC requested the inclusion of an audio-text disclaimer, mentioning the book the film is adapted from and clarifying that it does not aim to defame anyone or distort historical facts.

[54] Following backlash from certain Maharashtrian political figures for featuring a scene in the trailer in which Chatrapati Sambhaji and his wife perform lezim dance, Utekar decided to delete the sequence from the film.

[58][59] The teaser of the film was showcased before the preview shows of Stree 2, and was later released on social media on 19 August 2024, coinciding Raksha Bandhan.

"[86] Nishad Thaivalappil of News18 gave 3.5 out of 5 rating and the reviewer highlights Vicky Kaushal's outstanding portrayal of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and praises the film for effectively capturing his legacy.

[90] 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".

[91] 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".

[92] 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.

"[93] Tushar Joshi of India Today wrote, "Chhaava doesn't aim to be exceptionally different, but it masters the art of navigating the mainstream waters without completely drowning in the cacophony of its own voice.

"[95] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu said that "Struggling to choose between history and the current nationalist sentiment, Laxman Utekar’s unsurprising narrative finds its voice in the final.

But the film’s lack of feeling is vivid too, with shouty speechifying mistaken for heartfelt passion and sumptuous visuals confused for grandeur.

"[97] A historian, Indrajit Sawant, faced threats and caste-based abuse for challenging the film's historical accuracy, alleging that it distorts history by wrongly portraying Soyarabai Bhosale as one of the antagonists instead of Annaji Datto, the Sachiv for Shivaji Maharaj.

The Shirke family, claiming to represent the descendants of historical figures portrayed in the film, raised objections, asserting that their ancestors were wrongly depicted as traitors.

Director Laxman Utekar responded to the controversy by apologizing for any unintentional distress caused and clarified that the film does not explicitly name the families or villages of the concerned historical figures.