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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.

Mr. Bharat’s brushes with two superstars

Mumbai: Years ago, the veteran south Indian and Bollywood director A. Bhimsingh was working on the gloomy love-triangle, ‘Aadmi’ (1968) starring the then reigning emperor of acting, Dilip Kumar, along with Waheeda Rehman and others.


During the early filming, Bhimsingh and the other hero of the film, the late Feroze Khan, had some huge differences and couldn’t see eye-to-eye on many things.


The enraged Bhimsingh narrated everything to Dilip Kumar and it was finally decided to drop Khan, recalled veteran Bollywood producer K. Ramji of Tina Films International (TFI).


“Dilip Kumar also called up his close friend and film-maker, my father, A. Krishnamurthi, and requested him to see if Rajendra Kumar or Manoj Kumar could be convinced to play the crucial role, replacing Khan,” Ramji told The Perfect Voice.

Though Rajendra Kumar politely declined, Manoj Kumar jumped with joy at the honour of working with his cherished idol Dilip Kumar that simply landed in his lap, chuckled Ramji.


At one point when Bhimsingh fell ill, Manoj Kumar even volunteered to direct a portion of the film, to ensure completing it on schedule and it turned out to be a blockbuster.


A couple of years later, Dilip Kumar returned the favour by convincing his wife, the dazzling Saira Banu to work in a glam role for Manoj Kumar’s patriotic superhit ‘Purab Aur Paschim’ (1970).


Manoj Kumarhad crafted his own style, mannerisms, and even a hairstyle that was displayed in almost all barber shops of that era for youngsters to emulate.

Decades later, legendary choreographer-cum-director Farah Khan came up with her smash-hit film, ‘Om Shanti Om’ (2007), considered a heart-felt eulogy to the whims and vagaries of Bollywood.


In one scene, the film took an uncharitable swipe at Manoj Kumar, rattling him enough to file a Rs. 100-crore defamation suit (which he later gracefully withdrew).


The scene in ‘Om Shanti Om’ poked fun at Manoj Kumar’s famed mannerism – covering his face with his palm to express shyness, disappointment, happiness or sadness.


The struggler Om Prakash (played by Shah Rukh Khan) unabashedly lampooned the senior actor by flaunting his identity-card to a cop, with his photo showing the face covered by his hand - a la Manoj Kumar - leading to howls of laughter in cinema halls.


As film critics then noted, Manoj Kumar’s iconic ‘style’ cultivated over decades, was ripped to a farce in just one momentary scene in the film and he expressed his deep distress by saying, “This is how they treat me”.


However, later, like many Bollywood films the ugly brawl had a happy ending with a round of apologies from Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan, while Manoj Kumar earned widespread applause in film circles for graciously burying the hatchet.

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