Chhaava teaser: Vicky Kaushal is Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, taking on armies alone, Akshaye Khanna stuns as Aurangzeb

The teaser of period war drama Chhaava was unveiled on Monday morning. The Laxman Utekar film is based on the life and times of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the son of Chhatrapati Shivaji. The high octane, high-on-testosterone teaser has impressed fans, particularly Vicky’s transformation into the 17^th century warrior.

On Monday morning, the film’s lead star Vicky Kaushal first shared the teaser release announcement with a poster of the film. An hour later, he and the film’s other principal cast shared the teaser online. “Protector of Swarajya. Defender of Dharma. #Chhaava - An epic saga of a courageous warrior! Teaser out now,” wrote Vicky.

The teaser opens with a large scale visual of a battle outside a fort. A voice over states that Chhatrapati Shivaji was called the lion and hence, his son is Chhaava (the cub). Vicky Kaushal then roars on to the screen, taking on an army single-handedly, leaping across fort walls and destroying soldiers' companies. We then get a glimpse of Akshaye Khanna as Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who laments that Shivaji is gone but he left his soch (thought) behind in the form Sambhaji.

Fans praised the teaser's intensity, with particular praise for Vicky and Akshaye's looks. One wrote, "Vicky is looking like a Lion. Awesome look." Another added, "Finally Akshay khanna getting the kind of roles he deserves... underrated gem."

The teaser had been attached to the theatrical prints of Stree 2, which meant that many had seen it in theatres from Thursday onwards, generating some buzz for this film. But with the wide release online on Monday, the film’s promotional campaign has now begun in full swing.

Chhaava translates to cub in Marathi. It was a nickname for Sambhaji, signifying that he was the lion’s son, with the lion being Chhatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj, the founder of the Maratha Empire. The Laxman Utekar film also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta, Neil Bhoopalam, and Santosh Juvekar in pivotal roles. The period drama releases in theatres on December 6.

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