Bigg Boss Marathi 2 Winner Shiv Thakare to Play Gangster-Turned-Politician in Prradip Khairwar’s Raktneeti

Bigg Boss Marathi 2 winner Shiv Thakare is set to make his big-screen acting debut with director Prradip Khairwar’s upcoming Marathi feature, Raktneeti. Thakare, who established a strong television presence through popular reality shows such as Bigg Boss 16, Khatron Ke Khiladi 13, and Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 11, will step into a dark, intense lead role for his cinematic debut.

In Raktneeti, Thakare will portray a college student who gets drawn into the underworld and subsequently enters local politics after personal tragedy upends his life. The character arc explores themes of power, betrayal, revenge, and political ambition. Industry insiders draw comparisons between his role’s intensity and Vivek Oberoi’s character in Ram Gopal Varma’s 2010 crime drama Rakta Charitra, though Raktneeti features its own distinct narrative and setting.

The project marks the Marathi directorial debut of Prradip Khairwar, a veteran with 15 to 20 years of experience in Hindi cinema. Khairwar worked closely with filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma on major projects including Rakta Charitra, Killing Veerappan, The Attacks of 26/11, and Sarkar 3. His previous directorial credits include the 2024 film Aayushmati Geeta Matric Pass, along with short films such as Blind Love and various music videos for T-Series.

Raktneeti is produced by Prradip Khairwar and Shefali Singh Rajput under the banner of Good Idea Films. The script and screenplay are being penned by Prashant Pandey, who previously wrote Rakta Charitra. Following a formal project announcement at Mumbai’s Siddhivinayak Temple, the production team is finalizing script details, with principal photography scheduled to begin around November or December 2026.