Raja Shivaji BTS: Amole Gupte On Prepping Riteish Deshmukh’s Sons For Shiva Role, Says ‘They Were Quick On…’

Amole Gupte, best known for his memorable negative roles in films like Kaminey and Singham Returns, recently spent time working closely with the children of Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia Deshmukh — Riaan (11) and his younger brother Rahyl (9). The young duo is all set to make their on-screen debut with Raja Shivaji, and Gupte couldn’t help but share his experience of interacting with them.

In a conversation with Variety India, Gupte opened up about his long-standing bond with the family. He said, “Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia are family friends, and they were also at the forefront in promoting my film Stanley Ka Dabba.” Reflecting on his time with the boys, he added warmly, “It was a sheer pleasure spending time with their two kamaalichi (incredible) boys. At their age, can you imagine, they can recite the ‘Ganpati Stotra’ and so many aartis by heart! In Raja Shivaji, they play Shivaji Maharaj at different ages, Rahyl being the younger one seen in the trailer, while Riaan plays a slightly older Shiva!”

Interestingly, Gupte doesn’t quite see his role as “training” or “grooming” the boys. For him, it was far more organic and enjoyable. “I just had fun interacting with both of them, and now they have become my fast friends! We would just play around with their Marathi lines, as the portion of their script was given to me, and I gave them tips on how to speak them. They were quick on the uptake, and I started looking forward to meeting them each Saturday. It was not at all like a teacher-and-student equation, but a bond with Froggie Uncle over samosas and jalebi, which they always wanted from me!” he shared, painting a charming picture of their time together.

About Raja Shivaji

Directed by Riteish Deshmukh himself, Raja Shivaji brings to life the journey and legacy of the founder of the Maratha Empire. The film is produced by Jyoti Deshpande and Genelia Deshmukh, and boasts a strong ensemble cast featuring Sanjay Dutt, Abhishek Bachchan, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, along with Gupte himself.

Backed by Jio Studios and produced under the banner of Mumbai Film Company, the film is slated for a worldwide theatrical release on May 1, 2026, in Marathi, Hindi, and Telugu. According to Bollywood Hungama, Raja Shivaji also joins the list of longer films, with a runtime of 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 5 seconds (195.05 minutes).

ALSO READ: Bhooth Bangla Box Office Collection Day 10: Akshay Kumar’s Horror-Comedy Rules Theatres With Rs 113 Crore

The post Raja Shivaji BTS: Amole Gupte On Prepping Riteish Deshmukh’s Sons For Shiva Role, Says ‘They Were Quick On…’ appeared first on NewsX.