Mumbai Oct 22 : Riteish Deshmukh had to skip the Diwali celebration at home this year as he is busy shooting for his much-awaited next, "Raja Shivaji".

Missing their father during the family Diwali lunch, Riteish's sons- Riaan and Rahyl gifted the actor a handmade Diwali note that went like this, "Hi baba, I know you are working hard for us. Today is Diwali but I hope the light reaches you. The Diwali lunch will never be the same without you. Have a great day at shoot (sic)."

Overwhelmed after receiving all the love from his kids, Riteish shared the note on his Instagram Stories and penned, "Aur jeene ko kya chahiye!!! Shooting for @rajashivaji is special but receiving letter from boys makes it everlasting."

His better half, Genelia, also reshared his social media stories, saying, "First love- baba," followed by a green heart emoji.

Riteish is donning multiple hats as an actor, producer, and director in "Raja Shivaji".

The film, which is being made under Riteish's home banner Mumbai Film Company in association with Jio Studios, will see him in the titular role, along with him taking charge as the director.

The much-awaited project is a cinematic adaptation of the life of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Besides Riteish, the illustrious star cast of the film further includes Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Khedekar, Bhagyashree, Fardeen Khan, Jitendra Joshi, Amole Gupte, and Genelia Deshmukh, along with others.

The first look motion poster from the drama features a powerful figure of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj standing in the middle of a battlefield, firmly holding a sword. With flames blazing around him, we could also see the bright orange Maratha flag waving above.

"Raja Shivaji" is slated for a theatrical release on Maharashtra Day, May 1, 2026.

Over and above this, Riteish's lineup also includes "Masti 4," co-starring Aftab Shivdasani and Vivek Oberoi.

/IANS