Big screen ticket gives 80s novel on Sambhaji a new lease of life

MUMBAI: The film Chhaava boosts sales of Shivaji Sawant's novel, prompting a special edition release and increased demand across Maharashtra and online.

MUMBAI: The runway success of the period film Chhaava has sparked a fresh wave of interest in the novel that inspired it. Shivaji Sawant’s Marathi classic is flying off the shelves, with booksellers across Maharashtra – from upscale stores to roadside stalls near historic forts across the state – scrambling to meet the surging demand.

Big screen ticket gives 80s novel on Sambhaji a new lease of life

Thrilled with the overwhelming response since the film released on February 14, Pune-based Mehta Publishing House will be releasing a special edition of Chhawa, featuring a newly designed cover inspired by the movie. This edition will be available in both paperback and hardcover formats, with an initial print run of 10,000 copies. Pre-bookings for this exclusive release have already begun.

Chhawa, first published in 1979, is a seminal work on the life and valour of Chhatrapati Sambhaji (r. 1681 – 1689), son of Chhatrapati Shivaji, founder of the Maratha Empire, and its second ruler. The novel has been cherished by Marathi readers for decades, and its cinematic adaptation has brought it back into the spotlight.

Akhil Mehta, director, Mehta Publishing House, said, “A new edition of the novel is in the pipeline, and for non-Marathi readers, an English version of Chhawa will be released within the next two weeks.” Currently, the novel is available in Hindi, Kannada and Tamil.

Booksellers say there has been a 20-25% increase in sales of Chhawa. Keerti Joshi, manager of Bhavarth Book Shop, a leading chain of bookstores in Pune, Sangli and Chiplun, said, “After the movie’s release, we have seen a sharp rise in demand for the book across Maharashtra. On online portals, we are receiving orders from all over the country,” she said.

Soham Shukla, a bookseller in Fort, south Mumbai, said, “When we learnt that Chhaava was to release, we stocked up on the book and we’ve seen a huge rise in demand. In the last three days alone, I have sold at least 120 copies.”

The growing interest is not limited to physical copies. Digital formats and library lending have also seen a surge. Sagar Dhumal, a representative of Mehta Publishing House, said the online market for the book is buzzing. “There has been a significant increase in demand for Chhawa among Marathi readers across India. There has also been a spike in e-book downloads in many foreign countries,” he stated.

Libraries have also been swept up in the Chhawa tide. Pundalik Pai, who runs a library in Dombivli along with an online platform for libraries across state, remarked, “We have over 20 copies available in our offline and online libraries, and all are currently checked out with a long waiting list. Topics relating to Shivaji Maharaj and Sambhaji Maharaj have always been popular among readers, but the film’s release has amplified interest.”

The film’s success is also driving interest in other books on the history of one of Maharashtra’s most powerful empires. Sanjay Bhaskar Joshi, a book promoter, said, “I am actively promoting more books on Sambhaji Maharaj and the Maratha Empire. There is a wealth of literature available, ranging from historical fiction to fact-based narratives. People are appreciating the variety and making informed choices rather than just picking up the book on which the movie is based,” he said.