What happened to Sanjay Dutt’s The Good Maharaja? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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The Good Maharaja is an Indo-Polish war epic film that promised to bring a remarkable historical tale to the screen. Directed by Vikash Verma and produced by G7 Films Poland, the story centers on Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar who sheltered 1,000 Polish children during World War II. Sanjay Dutt stars as the titular Maharaja, joined by Dhruv Verma in a lead role, with Deepraj Rana, Gulshan Grover, and Sharad Kapoor in supporting parts.
With a staggering ₹400 crore (US$47 million) budget, the film was to rank among India’s most expensive films. Filming began in February 2020 in Hindi, English, and Polish, aiming to blend action, drama, and a cross-cultural love story. Initially conceived by Omung Kumar of Legend Studios, the project faced legal hurdles that shifted its trajectory, leaving its fate uncertain as of March 2025.
The daughters of Maharaja Digvijaysinhji sent a cease and desist letter to the makers
The production of The Good Maharaja had been far from smooth since the very beginning. While the production kicked off with high ambitions, it hit roadblocks almost immediately. The COVID-19 pandemic halted filming in 2020, disrupting momentum for a project already juggling three languages and international collaboration.
Before this, the Maharaja’s daughters, Hershad Kumari and Himanshu Kumari, issued a cease-and-desist notice to Legend Studios’ Omung Kumar and Sandeep Singh, alleging the film distorted their father’s legacy without consent, as per India Today. Their lawyer, Faranaaz Karbhari, argued it risked tarnishing a public figure’s image. Singh countered that the story was public domain, dismissing the legal action as a publicity stunt.
The dispute led to a production shift to G7 Films Poland, but no clear resolution emerged. Shooting resumed briefly, yet progress stalled again – possibly due to funding woes or creative disputes. By 2025, no release date has surfaced, and updates have dried up. Sanjay Dutt’s involvement kept hope alive briefly, but even his star power couldn’t salvage it. The film’s social media trails off after 2021, and its listing lingers as “unreleased.”
Given its budget of ₹400 Crore, the film was expected to be a grand portrayal of the humanitarianism of Maharaja Digvijaysinhji Ranjitsinhji Jadeja. However, whether or not will be translated to the screens is a matter yet to be seen.
