Chinmay Mandlekar, known for portraying Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in Shivrayancha Chhava (2024), became subject to a controversy. The actor posted a video in which he announced his departure from the eight part historical-drama series. Chinmay took to his Instagram handle and said that he has decided to not play the Maratha warrior king in the upcoming instalments. (Also read: Chinmay Mandlekar on success post The Kashmir Files: It was never like after the film came, producers ki line lag gayi thi.)
Chinmay Mandlekar trolled for naming his son Jehangir
Chinmay and his family became targets of online trolls who criticised him for naming his son Jehangir. He was slammed for using a Mughal emperor’s name for his son. Chimay’s wife Neha Joshi later clarified the reason behind calling her son Jehangir. Neha took to her Instagram handle and shared a video message. She captioned her post as, “Bharat (India) is in jail, we are not injured (two folded hands emojis).” In the post she told that her son is named as the meaning implies to conqueror of the world. She also gave example of Indian industrialist Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata. The actor also posted a video message in which he expressed his disappointment over being trolled for his son’s name. He mentioned his family being targeted and questioned over his faith and devotion. Chinmay declared that he could no longer play the legendary Maratha king in the upcoming sequels.
Shivaji director reacts to Chinmay’s decision
As fans were shocked by his statement, Shivaji Ashtak director Digpal Lanjekar reacted to his decision. He said, “I haven’t had any discussion with Chinmay about it yet. We have been communicating through brief messages. However, he did not have any detailed conversation with me before making this decision. We plan to have discussions soon. In my view, Chinmay will continue playing the role of Shivaji Maharaj in Shivraj Ashtak once I talk to him. Once we have our discussion, we will have a clearer picture of the outcome. Currently, I’m not in a position to elaborate, and there are many uncertainties.” He further added, “Shivraj Ashtak is not just cinema. It is an emotion and is about people’s feelings. Any decision regarding the movie series has to be taken very intricately. Therefore, it would be wrong to say anything without proper discussion with Chinmay.”
