Ranveer Singh’s Pralay Shoot at Azad Maidan Sparks Dispute With Mumbai Cricket Association
Ranveer Singh’s next film, Pralay, has encountered an off-screen dispute soon after production began. The Bollywood project was granted permission to film at Mumbai’s historic Azad Maidan, but the location booking reportedly disrupted scheduled youth cricket matches and prompted the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) to challenge the decision.
The controversy highlights a familiar tension between commercial productions and public sporting spaces: how should authorities balance the needs of a major film shoot with the everyday use of a ground that supports young athletes? While the permission was reportedly limited to six hours and came with conditions intended to protect the venue, the MCA says the disruption affected competitions that had been planned in advance.
Why the MCA objected to the film shoot
According to a report by Mumbai Mirror, the Maharashtra government’s Sports Department authorised the makers of Pralay to film at Azad Maidan. The decision reportedly led to the postponement of Under-14 and Under-16 interschool cricket matches organised by the MCA.
The association has expressed its displeasure in a letter to the Deputy Director of Sports. MCA Apex Council member Nadim Memon told the publication that the shoot interfered with the ground’s established sporting use. He said large sets were assembled and artificial grass was laid for the production, arguing that Azad Maidan should remain a place where cricketers can practise and compete rather than serve as a commercial filming location.
Memon also questioned who would be accountable for the impact on players and tournament schedules. In his view, the issue is not simply whether a film crew can use the ground for a few hours, but whether such bookings could disrupt the development opportunities available to young cricketers.
Permission, fees and conditions
The Mumbai Mirror report said the production company behind the film, Mumbai-based Light Rays, was permitted to use 5,000 square yards of government land at Azad Maidan. The reported rental charge was Rs. 40,000 for six hours, calculated at Rs. 800 for every 100 square yards. The production was also required to provide a refundable security deposit of Rs. 40,000.
The approval reportedly included several safeguards. The crew was not allowed to bring vehicles onto the cricket pitches, cook at the site, dig into the ground or undertake any activity that could damage the playing surface. The makers were also asked to obtain the required clearances from the police, traffic authorities and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), as well as a no-objection certificate from the MCA. An undertaking on Rs. 100 stamp paper was also required.
The permission was signed by Sports Department Under Secretary Ashok Damayyawar on October 30 and was subsequently forwarded by the Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Services in Mumbai on November 2, according to the report. The MCA’s objection raises questions about how the conditions were applied and whether the association was consulted before the shoot was approved.
A sporting ground with a wider role
Azad Maidan is more than an open location in central Mumbai. It has long been associated with local cricket and provides space for players to train, participate in school-level competitions and pursue opportunities in the sport. For young cricketers, a postponed match can mean more than an inconvenience: it may affect team preparation, tournament momentum and access to competitive play.
That context helps explain why the MCA has framed its objection as a matter of sporting priorities. Memon said the association organises tournaments, including interstate competitions, and is working to nurture emerging players. He criticised the Sports Department for allowing a commercial booking that, according to the MCA, interrupted those efforts.
At the same time, the reported restrictions suggest that officials sought to limit the production’s physical impact on the ground. The central concern now appears to be whether those safeguards were enough to protect the venue’s sporting schedule, not just its surface. A location may remain undamaged after a shoot and still be unavailable for the matches and practice sessions it was intended to host.
What the dispute could mean for future productions
The reported approval would make Pralay the first film to shoot at Azad Maidan, adding another dimension to the debate. If public sporting grounds are made available for film and television projects, authorities may need clearer procedures for assessing requests, consulting sports organisations and avoiding clashes with competitions already on the calendar.
For filmmakers, public spaces can offer distinctive settings that are difficult to recreate on a studio set. But access comes with responsibilities, particularly when a location has an active community purpose. Transparent booking rules, advance notice and a reliable process for rescheduling sporting events could help reduce conflict between production teams and the people who depend on these facilities.
The disagreement also underscores the broader challenges of managing Mumbai’s limited public spaces. A government agency may view a short-term film booking as a source of revenue, while sports bodies see the same ground as essential infrastructure for athletes. Finding a workable balance will require more than restrictions on vehicles or construction; it will also depend on coordination with the organisations running matches and training programmes.
Ranveer Singh’s film moves forward amid scrutiny
Pralay is among Ranveer Singh’s upcoming projects following the reported success of Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar: The Revenge. The Azad Maidan controversy has brought attention to the production before audiences have seen footage from the film, shifting part of the conversation from the actor’s next role to the practical questions surrounding the shoot.
Ranveer Singh was also recently reported to have sought blessings at Lalbaugcha Raja ahead of the film’s production. The shoot itself is now at the centre of a discussion involving the Maharashtra Sports Department, the MCA and the use of a prominent public ground. The reported details do not establish how the disagreement will be resolved, but the MCA’s letter signals that the association wants the decision reviewed.
For Bollywood productions, the episode is a reminder that location choices can carry consequences beyond logistics and visual appeal. As the debate continues, the key issue will be whether public facilities can accommodate creative projects without compromising the sporting opportunities they were built to provide.
