Rajeev Khandelwal plays the chief of Shiledars, a secret organisation entrusted with the task of protecting Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s treasure from evil forces, in the teaser of Munjya helmer Aditya Sarpotdar’s The Secret Of The Shiledars.
Dropped by Disney+ Hotstar on Friday, the 52-second-long video promises a thrilling saga of honour and legacy, with action-packed sequences and historical intrigue. Blending elements of period drama with a contemporary narrative, the clip shows Rajeev’s character being introduced to the world of the Shiledars and confronting enemies who try to seize the treasure.
Maintaining the age-old tradition of the Shiledars, Rajeev must unravel the secrets about the treasure while facing dark forces. Glimpses of the grand treasure appear in the video along with the characters wielding ancient weapons to ward off evil.
It ends with Rajeev realising his life’s true calling, as he holds a firetorch and explores a dark cavern.
‘Shiledar’ was a term used to determine the rank of a soldier in the Maratha Empire during Shivaji’s reign. It refers to a soldier who owned a sword and horse, and actively took part in warfare. The Shiledars were crucial members of the Maratha army who belonged to several renowned clans within the Maratha community.
Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar, The Secret of The Shiledars also features Gaurav Amlani, Ashish Vidyarthi and Sai Tamhankar. The upcoming series is slated to stream on Disney+ Hotstar from January 31.
This year, Aditya had two major horror comedy releases — Munjya starring Abhay Verma and Sharvari, and Kakuda featuring Riteish Deshmukh, Sonakshi Sinha and Saqib Saleem.
Munjya was the fourth instalment in the horror comedy series by Maddock Films after Stree (2018), Roohi (2021) and Bhediya (2022). The film revolves around a young man named Bittu (Abhay) who encounters the vengeful spirit of Munjya, a child who died tragically after attempting a forbidden love ritual.
Kakuda, on the other hand, revolves around a newly married woman, played by Sonakshi, who seeks help from Riteish’s ghost hunter to save her husband, portrayed by Saqib Salim, from a malevolent spirit.