Even as the Hindi film industry struggles through a rough patch, Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava has broken through the gloom to become a surprise blockbuster, earning over Rs 800 crore and claiming the title of 2025’s highest-grossing Hindi film.
While many have praised Vicky’s powerful performance for driving the film’s success, actor and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar sees it differently.
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According to him, the real credit belongs to Maharashtra’s audience — not Vicky. In Chhaava, Vicky portrays Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, with the film tracing the life of the Maratha warrior.
During a recent interview, Mahesh shared that it wasn’t Vicky’s star power that pulled crowds to theatres, but the enduring legacy of Sambhaji Maharaj that audiences came to witness.
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He said, “Vicky Kaushal is a very fine actor. His film Chhaava collected Rs 800 crore. But Vicky Kaushal can never say that people came to see him”.
He further added “Because then they would have come to see the previous five films as well. The audience came to see your character. His previous five films did not work.”
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Mahesh went on to add, “So my Maharashtra has saved the Hindi film industry, remember this. Today, Chhaava is doing well, and 80 percent of its credit goes to Maharashtra”.
He also stated how the remaining parts of the country further contributed 10 percent to the film’s success.
Vicky Kaushal has been collecting a lot of praise for his portrayal in the film but the renowned filmmaker might not agree with the fact that Vicky Kaushal carried the film.
While Chhaava turned out to be a huge win at the box office, it’s worth noting that Vicky’s last two films — Bad Newz and Sam Bahadur — didn’t manage to leave much of a mark commercially.
All in all, Mahesh Manjrekar’s statements might be true to some extent but some part of the audience might not agree with his statements as Vicky Kaushal captivated the viewers countrywide with his phenomenal performance.
