Chhaava (2025) Review: Vicky Kaushal's Roaring Maratha Epic

Is Chhaava worth watching?

Mostly yes. Chhaava is a thunderous, physically committed historical epic that works as spectacle and as a showcase for Vicky Kaushal, even if it rarely pauses for subtlety. Its battle scenes have scale and ferocity, and Akshaye Khanna makes a chilling antagonist. The reservations are real, though: at 161 minutes it is punishingly long, its history is painted in stark heroes and villains, and its violence grows relentless.

What is Chhaava about?

Chhaava picks up in the late 17th century, after the death of the Maratha founder Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. His son Sambhaji (Vicky Kaushal) inherits the throne and, with it, a war: the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb (Akshaye Khanna) sees the moment as his chance to crush Maratha power in the Deccan, and moves his vast forces south.

The film follows Sambhaji as he leads resistance on the battlefield while contending with intrigue within his own court. Rashmika Mandanna plays his wife, Yesubai, with Ashutosh Rana and Divya Dutta among the supporting cast.

Laxman Utekar directed this Hindi-language Indian production, which runs 161 minutes and was released in February 2025. It became one of the biggest Hindi releases of the year.

Kaushal and Khanna make a fierce contrast

Kaushal throws himself into the role with total conviction. His Sambhaji is a warrior-king of enormous physical presence, roaring through battle scenes and carrying a brooding intensity into the quieter moments. It is a performance built on stamina and fury, and it anchors the film even when the script gives him more slogans than inner life.

Akshaye Khanna is the more interesting presence. Heavily made up and speaking barely above a whisper, his Aurangzeb is cold, patient and menacing, a man who seems to have all the time in the world. The contrast between Kaushal’s volume and Khanna’s stillness gives the film its most compelling dynamic, and their few shared scenes carry real charge.

Mandanna is given less to do. Yesubai is presented as a source of loyalty and strength, but the role is mostly reactive, and the film’s interest in her is limited by its focus on combat.

Battle spectacle on a grand scale

Utekar, better known for smaller, lighter films, stages the war sequences with ambition. Cavalry charges, guerrilla ambushes and sieges are shot with a muscular, often bloody energy, and the production design fills forts, camps and courts with period detail. As pure big-screen spectacle, the action often delivers, particularly in the film’s first half, when Sambhaji’s tactics feel clever as well as brutal.

The problems are pacing and tone. The film rarely changes gear, moving from one battle cry to the next with a thundering score beneath almost everything. Scenes of politics and family, which could have given the war its meaning, are brief and functional.

Where history turns into a battle cry

Chhaava is unapologetically partisan. It treats its hero as a figure of devotion and its antagonists as uncomplicated villains, and its depiction of the Mughal side leaves little room for nuance. Viewers who come for a historical drama that weighs politics, faith and power will find this reductive, and the film’s framing has drawn criticism on those grounds. Its final stretch is also extremely violent and drawn out, pushing endurance rather than emotion.

Who should watch Chhaava?

It is best suited to viewers who enjoy large-scale Indian historical action and patriotic spectacle, and to fans of Vicky Kaushal who want to see him in full warrior mode. Set aside close to three hours. Expect frequent graphic violence, including battlefield brutality and scenes of torture, which make it unsuitable for younger viewers.

For similar scale, try:

• Ponniyin Selvan: Part II, a more intricate Indian historical epic with far more interest in court intrigue.
• Animal, which also pairs Rashmika Mandanna with an explosively violent male lead, for viewers who want more of that intensity.

The verdict

Chhaava is a loud, bruising and often impressive historical spectacle, carried by Vicky Kaushal’s all-in performance and Akshaye Khanna’s icy villainy. Its length, one-note tone and simplified history keep it from greatness, but as a big-screen war epic it has undeniable force.

Rating: 3.5/5