The movie owes much of its critical and commercial success to its highly accurate historical casting: Sher Shivraj (2022) - IMDb

“Those who witness courage,” Maithili said. “Or those who embody it themselves. The index does not judge. It only remembers.”

The historical exploits and "guide" to the life of the Maratha Empire founder, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, often referred to as "Sher" (Lion) Shivraj.

This is arguably the most nuanced portrayal of Shivaji in the franchise. While previous films showed him as a king or commander, Sher Shivraj presents him as a master strategist and a man of immense emotional intelligence.

Turning the pages, Arjun found more than one Sher Shivraj. A woman who left a trade caravan to nurse orphaned children back when plague arrived; a potter who refused to take a government post that would force him to suppress his village’s festivals; a teacher who risked exile to keep a school open where girls learned by candlelight; a soldier who lowered his bow not because the enemy surrendered but because he recognized their shared hunger and walked into the quiet between battles to plant grain. Each entry was brief—one sentence, sometimes a name—but the ledger held the gravity of many small revolutions.

“A map?” Arjun echoed.