A heartbreaking tragedy occurred on the sets of Riteish Deshmukh’s upcoming film Raja Shivaji, as a 26-year-old dancer from the choreography team, Saurabh Sharma, lost his life after being swept away by the strong currents of the Krishna River in Satara. His body was recovered two days later, on the morning of April 25, 2025, by local police and rescue teams.
According to reports, the incident took place during a break in filming at Sangam Mahuli, a village situated at the confluence of the Krishna and Venna rivers. After a colorful dance shoot, Saurabh and a few others went to the river to wash off the powder. He reportedly ventured too far into the river and was pulled away by the current. Despite immediate alerts to authorities, the search efforts that began were hampered by poor visibility and had to be paused at night.
Rescue operations resumed the next morning, but it wasn’t until Thursday around 7:30 AM that Saurabh’s body was finally found. The Satara police have registered an accidental death case and are continuing investigations. Meanwhile, filming for Raja Shivaji has been temporarily halted as a mark of respect and to allow the team to process the loss.
Mumbai Film Company, Riteish Deshmukh’s production house, earlier issued a statement expressing concern and confirming that Riteish, Genelia Deshmukh, Remo D’Souza, and several crew members rushed to the riverbank when they were informed of the incident. Drone surveillance and local swimmers were deployed, and even the District Collector of Satara was contacted to assist with the rescue efforts.
Raja Shivaji, a bilingual project in Marathi and Hindi, is being directed by Riteish Deshmukh, who also plays the titular role of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The film, which also stars Bhagyashree, is a tribute to the legendary Maratha warrior. However, this tragic loss has cast a shadow over the production, leaving the entire team in mourning.