Chhaava: Who Was Kavi Kalash? Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's 'Mathe Ka Tilak' Played By Vineet Kumar

Chhaava was released on February 14, 2025, and broke the box office as it registered the biggest opening this year, Rs. 13.18 crore. Laxman Utekar directed the epic film, Chhaava, which is inching closer to the Rs. 200 crore mark. The film surpassed the Rs. 100 crore mark in just two days as Chhaava's craze continues to rise and looks unstoppable at the moment. While it is a big win for the makers of Chhaava, the blockbuster film has revived Bollywood after a series of box office flops like Fateh, Emergency, Deva, Azad, Loveyapa, and more. 

Vicky Kaushal as Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Rashmika Mandanna as Maharani Yesubai Bhosale, Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb, Vineet Kumar as Kavi Kalash, and Divya Dutta as Soyarabai Bhosale were the standout performers in Chhaava. Initially, people were sceptical about watching Chhaava in theatres because of some early reviews that pointed out some errors in its storyline. However, as soon as some short clips from the film's climax made their way to social media, people were intrigued by Vicky Kaushal and Vineet Kumar Singh's acting.

The climax saw Vicky Kaushal exchanging poetic rhetoric with Vineet Kumar Singh, and this particular scene played a huge role in Chhaava's stupendous success at the box office. Standing on the face of death, when Vineet's character, Kavi Kalash, says, "Jaa rahe hain. Aapke shatruo ke chot par lagne. Humne kaha tha hum namak hain Maharaj". In response, Vicky Kaushal's character, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, said, "Tum namak nahin chandan ho Kavi. Tum tilak hamare maathe ka." Most people have cried watching this sequence, no matter whether they've watched it on the big screen or their smartphones. 

Internet goes gaga over 'Mukkabaaz' actor, Vineet Kumar Singh's performance in Chhaava as 'Kavi Kalash', actor reacts to a fan hoping he soon buys a house in Mumbai

Vineet Kumar Singh's flawless acting in Chhaava wasn't a big surprise to cinephiles, who have seen his acting in Pitaah, City of Gold, Shorts, Gangs of Wasseypur, Ugly, Bollywood Diaries, Mukkabaaz, Saand Ki Aankh, Siya, Bard of Blood, and Rangbaaz: Darr Ki Rajneeti. However, not everyone knew Vineet Kumar Singh's exceptional acting talent because he lacks PR or good connections in Bollywood, which is often needed to get good projects. Luckily, Vineet gets the chance to appear in Chhaava, and apart from Vicky Kaushal, he gets most of the praise for his heroic role in the film.

The netizens have showered immense love on Vineet Kumar Singh, and he is hopeful that from here on, producers and filmmakers will take him seriously. Amidst all this buzz, a user wrote, "Ab ghar le lena bhai Mumbai mein. Intezaar jald khatam hoga." in response to this sweet message on X, Vineet replied saying, "Har Har Mahadev Dhanyavaad". The actor also penned a long note on Instagram thanking Chhaava's cast and crew and admitted that he hopes to get more opportunities in the future now that he is getting recognition for his work in Chhaava. 

Who was Chandogamatya Kavi Kalash? Meet Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's close friend, who died alongside him for the Maratha Empire

Talking about Vineet Kumar Singh's character, Kavi Kalash in Chhaava, he was a poet who was one of the closest friends of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. According to several reports, Kavi Kalash was also a responsible and skilled administrator and a warrior who played a pivotal role in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's reign. During a fierce battle near the Raigad fort back in 1684, Kavi Kalash defeated Shahabuddin Khan. Courtesy of his incredible skills as a poet, Sambhaji Maharaj gave him the title of Chandogamatya (Pinnacle of Poets).

Aurangzeb's forces captured Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj and Kavi Kalash, and they were tortured to convert to Islam, but they didn't and were eventually killed. When Sambhaji Maharaj was captured, Aurangzeb got down from his throne and immediately prayed to Allah for victory. In response to the Mughal emperor's reaction to Sambhaji Maharaj's capture, Kavi Kalash recited an instant poetry on the live scene. He said:

"Sambhaji (Maharaj) has been tied like Hanuman in the court of Islami ravan. Maharaj looking red because of wounds and blood from the great war he fought. The way fireflies lose their glow after sunrise. Seeing your effulgence, Aurangzeb (also lost his glow) gave up his throne."

As soon as Aurangzeb heard this poetry by Kavi Kalash, he immediately ordered his army to cut his tongue. Despite being tortured endlessly, Kavi Kalash and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj refused to convert to Islam. As a result, Aurangzeb was helpless with just one option, which was killing them mercilessly. No matter how many decades pass, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's legacy will always be remembered for generations.

What are your thoughts on Vineet Kumar Singh's performance as 'Kavi Kalash' in Chhaava? Let us know.

Also Read: Chhaava: Who Was Maharani Yesubai? Know About 'The Maratha Queen' Played By Rashmika Mandanna

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