Ranveer Singh's 'Pralay' shoot creates chaos in Mumbai
What's the story
The shooting of Ranveer Singh's upcoming film Pralay at Mumbai's Azad Maidan has sparked a major controversy. The Maharashtra government's Sports Department had given permission to the film's makers for a six-hour shoot, which reportedly disrupted the schedule of Under-14 and Under-16 interschool cricket matches. This led to the postponement of these matches by the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA), which is now expressing its displeasure over this decision.
Displeasure expressed
Here's what the MCA said
The MCA has written a letter to the Deputy Director of Sports, expressing its displeasure over the disruption caused by Pralay's shoot.
Nadim Memon, an Apex Council member of the MCA, told Mumbai Mirror that large sets were erected and artificial grass was laid for the shoot.
He said, "This is not a film-shooting venue but a cricket ground where players hone their skills to progress to the international level."
Disruption details
'You cannot commercially exploit a cricket ground'
Memon added that the ongoing tournaments were disrupted because of the shoot.
He questioned who would take responsibility for this loss and stated, "You cannot commercially exploit a cricket ground by allowing a commercial film shoot."
He also criticized the Sports Department for affecting Azad Maidan's sporting culture by allowing commercial bookings at the ground instead of supporting sports.
Shoot details
Details of the permission granted to 'Pralay' team
According to Mumbai Mirror, the Maharashtra government had given permission to Light Rays, the production house behind Pralay, to use 5,000 square yards of government land at Azad Maidan for the shoot.
The makers were charged a rental fee of ₹40K for six hours and were also required to deposit an equal amount as refundable security.
However, they were prohibited from bringing vehicles onto the cricket pitches or carrying out any activity that could damage the ground.
Permissions needed
Permission signed by the Sports Department Under Secretary
The Pralay team was also required to secure necessary permissions from the police, traffic department, and BMC, along with a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the MCA.
They were further asked to submit an undertaking on a ₹100 stamp paper.
The permission was signed by Sports Department Under Secretary Ashok Damayyawar on October 30 and subsequently forwarded by the Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Services, Mumbai, on November 2.
Film details
Everything to know about 'Pralay'
Pralay marks the feature directorial debut of Jai Mehta, with the screenplay co-written by Vishal Kapoor.
The film is expected to feature large-scale world-building set in a zombie-infested dystopian city.
With Pralay, Singh steps into a genre rarely attempted at this scale in India, signaling a bold shift toward high-concept, globally appealing storytelling.