top of page

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.

Sculpting Maharashtra's cultural legacy for the world

Mumbai: In a monumental recognition of a monumental career, eminent sculptor Ram Vanji Sutar was conferred with the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan Award’, the highest civilian honour of the state by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday.


Born on February 19, 1925, at Gondur village of Dhule in North Maharashtra Ram Sutar is one of India’s most celebrated and prolific sculptors. A Gold Medalist from the prestigious Sir J. J. School of Art, Mumbai, he is a master of realistic sculptures, working primarily in bronze. Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Sutar has created over 8,000 sculptures, including some of the world's largest and most significant monuments. He has been honored with India's third and fourth-highest civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan (2016) and Padma Shri (1999), and the Maharashtra Bhushan award for the year 2024, cementing his place as an icon of Maharashtra's artistic heritage.


While Sutar’s most famous work is the monumental Statue Of Unity (Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel) in Gujarat, his roots and several key projects directly connect him to Maharashtra, serving as global or national ambassadors for the region's culture and iconic figures like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.


Maratha pride

As a son of Maharashtra, Sutar has immortalized the state’s foremost historical hero, the Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. An equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (21 ft. high Bronze) is installed at the Parliament House, New Delhi, making the symbol of Maratha pride a permanent feature in India's capital. He also created its replica for the Balewadi Stadium in Pune.


Furthermore, he is credited with the final design for the proposed monumental statue of the king in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Mumbai, which would be an internationally recognized landmark.


Sutar made 18-foot tall statue of Dr. Ambedkar is installed in the Parliament. He and his son, Anil Sutar, are currently working on the Statue of Equality at the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Memorial at Indu Mills in Mumbai, a mammoth project that will cement Ambedkar's legacy on a global scale.


Global reach

Sutar's mastery in sculpting lifelike figures of national leaders, often drawing inspiration from his formative years studying art and restoring sculptures at the Ajanta and Ellora Caves (Maharashtra), has given his work immense international visibility. His bust of Mahatma Gandhi, praised for its realistic and dignified representation, has been selected for installation in over 450 cities worldwide across countries like the USA, France, Russia, Australia, and the UK. While Gandhi is a national figure, Sutar's unique artistic interpretation, honed by his training in Mumbai, represents the finesse of Indian, and by extension, Maharashtrian, sculpting excellence to a global audience. His ability to capture the subtle human emotion and realism in bronze, a quality developed from his early studies in Mumbai, is often compared to the masters like Rodin and Michelangelo, drawing international attention to a master artist born and trained in Maharashtra.


In essence, Ram Sutar's colossal and internationally placed sculptures of key leaders and historical figures, particularly those rooted in Maharashtra’s history have projected the state's cultural identity, history, and artistic excellence onto the world stage.

Comments

bottom of page