Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti| Shreyas: He was the king of the people, for the people in the truest sense

On the occasion of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti today, Shreyas Talpade shares the influence the warrior king has had on his life and what set him apart

The Maratha king and warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj holds a very important place in every Indian's life, including the life of actor Shreyas Talpade. His stories of bravery and the way he stood up against the might of the Mughals, has instilled confidence in many warriors after him. Today, on Chhatrapti Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti, as we celebrate the warrior king, Shreyas Talpade opens up on how his life has been influenced by him.

Shreyas Talpade on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Jayanti(Photo: Yogen Shah, Praful Gangurde / HT)

“It's very rare that you would find a Maharashtrian who doesn't worship Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” says the actor, adding, “His stories of valour, his wit, his vision, his leadership, the kind of fighter that he was, and the kind of king and leader that he was, everything continues to inspire all of us, even after so many centuries. He was the king of the people, for the people, in the truest sense.”

Shreyas goes on to discuss all the ways that the warrior king has left an indelible mark in Indian history that can never by replaced: “All the things that he had done, whether it was his vision, his foresight, wit, smartness, or his warfare skills, the way he would take care of his soldiers, his ministers, the things that he did for women empowerment and to protect women, or his code of ethics, morals, values, and everything else, just show why he was one of a kind. As we say in Marathi, na bhuto na bhavishyati (It never happened in the past, nor it will ever happen again in the future), he was that kind of a king that we had. We are very fortunate that we had a Maratha king who continues to inspire after so many centuries.”

The actor adds, “Whenever we think of a king, we think of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and I think that just speaks enormously about the kind of leader, the kind of warrior and the kind of person that he was. All of us, technically, still consider ourselves little soldiers of his army and we've been taught all along about the kind of value system that he put in place. If we are able to follow that, to whatever extent, we’d consider ourselves very fortunate.”