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By:

Bharati Dubey

17 May 2026 at 1:38:10 am

After Don-3 controversy, Ranveer’s next film goes on floors

Mumbai: After months of attention surrounding his reported exit from Don 3, Ranveer Singh has finally moved on to his next major cinematic venture. The actor’s ambitious survival spectacle Pralay has officially gone on floors in Mumbai today, marking the beginning of filming on one of the most ambitious and scale-driven projects in Indian cinema. Headlined by Ranveer Singh and directed by Jai Mehta, Pralay is an original end-of-the-world action thriller that promises to take audiences into a...

After Don-3 controversy, Ranveer’s next film goes on floors

Mumbai: After months of attention surrounding his reported exit from Don 3, Ranveer Singh has finally moved on to his next major cinematic venture. The actor’s ambitious survival spectacle Pralay has officially gone on floors in Mumbai today, marking the beginning of filming on one of the most ambitious and scale-driven projects in Indian cinema. Headlined by Ranveer Singh and directed by Jai Mehta, Pralay is an original end-of-the-world action thriller that promises to take audiences into a world on the brink of annihilation. Produced by Ananya Birla’s Birla Studios, Hansal Mehta and Sahil Saigal’s True Story Films, and Maa Kasam Films, the film combines large-scale spectacle with a deeply human story of survival, courage and the instinct to fight for what matters most. The film marks Ranveer’s next major motion picture following Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar – The Revenge, which emerged as the highest-grossing film of all time. With Pralay, the actor once again ventures into unexplored cinematic territory, taking on a disruptive new concept that demands both physical intensity and emotional conviction. Ranveer will also serve as a producer on the film. The project comes at an important point in the actor’s career. His reported exit from Don 3 had generated considerable buzz, particularly as he was expected to carry forward one of Indian cinema’s most iconic franchises. With Pralay, Ranveer now turns the page with an entirely original story rather than stepping into another established universe. Joining him is Lokah breakout actress Kalyani Priyadarshan, who plays a pivotal role in the film and brings together another exciting performer from the new generation of Indian talent. For Ananya Birla, Pralay represents Birla Studios’ ambition to push the boundaries of mainstream Indian cinema by collaborating with contemporary creative forces. For True Story Films’ Hansal Mehta and Sahil Saigal, the project reflects their commitment to disruptive storytelling and content-driven cinema. Behind the camera, Jai Mehta leads the ambitious project. His work on Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story, which he co-directed with Hansal Mehta, and Lootere has earned widespread acclaim. With Pralay, he steps into a significantly larger canvas, bringing together an ensemble of creative and technical talent from India and around the world. Set against the unmistakable pulse and landscape of Mumbai, Pralay follows a relentless journey of survival against the terrifying possibility of an end-of-the-world catastrophe. The film aims to marry breathtaking spectacle with an emotional core, exploring what people are willing to do to survive when the world as they know it begins to collapse. The makers are shooting extensively at live locations in and around Mumbai, embracing the physicality and unpredictability of real-world environments. The approach is designed to add scale, texture and realism to the apocalyptic world while creating an immersive theatrical experience. The film had already undergone several months of highly technical and intensive pre-production before cameras began rolling. Its ambitious mounting and unusual premise have made Pralay one of the most talked-about upcoming projects in Indian cinema.

Goa rocks to IFFI and SFX

Updated: Nov 29, 2024

IFFI and SFX

The stretch along the Mandovi from Goa’s capital, Panaji, to Old Goa is a beehive of activity thanks to two mega events. Both interestingly started on the same day, with the International Film Festival of India or IFFI beginning 21 November, and 6 kms or so along the iconic river, relics of the 16 th century saint, Francis Xavier (SFX) being brought down from its mausoleum in a section of an iconic church, Bom Jesus, and then carried ceremoniously across the road to a nearby church for veneration.


Both events have brought people in their hundreds from all over the world and India to Goa. Attending the film festival, this writer saw filmmakers and cinephiles from all over India. There were students of cinema from as far as Tripura, and Coimbatore, Delhi, Kerala and Chennai. The festival began with the screening of the movie, Better Man, a musical based on the life of the British singer and song writer, Robbie Williams. Essaying the role of the singer was an actor who added his human voice to a computer-generated image of a monkey which was a way that film director Michael Gracey, attempted to portray Williams after he apparently asked him “If you were an animal, how would you see yourself?”


The movie opened at Inox, Panaji, the permanent IFFI venue. This is the 20 th IFFI edition which moved to Goa in 2004. This time around, movies are also being shown in Madgaum, Goa’s business capital as well as in Ponda in the hinterland, thus enabling many locals to see some of India’s best films and documentaries. Film director, the well-known Shekar Kapur, best known for Masoom was present to inaugurate the event, and also joined other international film directors to moderate a panel discussion.


Queues of similar length could be seen at Old Goa where devotees lining up to see the relics. It has been reported that Governor and Chief Minister of the state offered prayers at the relics in the morning before the main event commenced. It is to the credit of the state government that it has pulled out all stops to ensure that the event runs smoothly. Transportation arrangements include special buses by the state-owned transport from Panjim to Old Goa. There has also been a special stamp cancellation to commemorate this one in a decade event.


The banks of the Mandovi are now alight with lights adorning the street lamp posts and trees that line the roads that run along the city’s periphery all the way to Miramar beach.


Both the IFFI and the exposition of the relics will segue into events and merry-making leading up to Christmas and the New Year. Recently, a venue was announced for Sunburn a popular music festival that has run into controversy for its impact on the state’s fragile environment as well as the fact that it allegedly encourages a drug culture. Many locals are now increasingly vocal about the fact that the environment suffers the most and also, the state known for its clean environs has seen a big deterioration in air quality with a real-time AQI of 144 which is poor rating. This is an area of concern for a state that wants to attract quality tourists and also preserve a way of life in harmony with nature.


(The author is a senior journalist based in Goa. Views personal.)

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