When it came to helming his first historical drama, Laxman Utekar decided to attempt an ambitious retelling of the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Out of this desire was born Vicky Kaushal’s Chhaava, an adaptation of the Marathi novel of the same name by Shivaji Sawant. With the biopic focusing on the Maratha king’s reign and his conflicts with Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, an important chapter in the narrative is Sambhaji’s coronation ceremony in 1681. It is heard that the director shot a grand song with Kaushal, leading lady Rashmika Mandanna and 700 background dancers in May, to depict the ceremony.

A still from the film