Several major films have been released this year, but Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar 2 continues to hold its position at the top, with its records yet to be broken. Following the film’s success, considerable interest has surrounded Singh’s next project, Pralay, a zombie survival thriller set against the backdrop of Mumbai. The film features Kalyani Priyadarshan opposite Ranveer Singh and is being directed by Jay Mehta.
According to a recent report published by Mumbai Mirror, the Maharashtra government’s Sports Department had granted the makers of Pralay permission to shoot at Azad Maidan for six hours. However, the decision has now drawn objections from the Mumbai Cricket Association.
The MCA has reportedly raised concerns that the shooting disrupted the schedule of ongoing Under-14 and Under-16 inter-school cricket matches. According to the report, the association was forced to postpone matches that had already been scheduled because of the film shoot. This is also the first time that permission has been granted for a film shoot at Azad Maidan.
Following the development, the MCA wrote a letter to the Deputy Director of the Sports Department, expressing its displeasure over the decision.
Nadeem Memon, a member of the MCA Apex Council, criticised the arrangements made for the film's shooting. He said that large sets had been installed at the ground and grass had been laid for the shoot.
"This is not a place for film shooting but a cricket ground where players work to improve their game and reach the international level. Because of this shooting, our ongoing tournaments were postponed. Who will take responsibility for this loss?" Memon said.
The MCA's objection centres on the disruption caused to cricket activities at a ground used by players to develop their skills and compete in tournaments.
The permission granted to the film's production team came with several conditions. The makers were prohibited from bringing vehicles onto the cricket pitch, cooking food or carrying out excavation work. They were also barred from undertaking any activity that could potentially damage the ground.
The production team was required to obtain the necessary permissions from the police, the Traffic Department and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). In addition, securing a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Mumbai Cricket Association was mandatory.
The filmmakers were also asked to submit an undertaking on a Rs 100 stamp paper. For the six-hour shooting period, the production team was charged Rs 40,000 as rent. An additional refundable security deposit of Rs 40,000 was also required.
The controversy has brought the permission granted for Pralay's shoot at Azad Maidan under scrutiny, with the MCA questioning the impact of allowing film production activities at a ground where inter-school cricket tournaments are conducted.
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