Cinematographer Pratik Shah has been ousted from the upcoming biopic of former Team India cricketer Sourav Ganguly following multiple allegations of abusive behaviour levelled against him on social media, according to media reports.
The makers have discontinued their association with Shah, who had been involved in the project’s preparations and had just completed a location scout, as per a report by The Hollywood Reporter India.
Citing a source, the report stated, “The recce was on till recently, and Shah was in London for the same. Allegations against him surfaced just around the time he returned to India. The makers have dropped him from the project and will now naturally look for a replacement before beginning production.”
The controversy erupted after filmmaker Abhinav Singh posted a series of Instagram stories accusing an unnamed cinematographer of being “highly manipulative” and “emotionally abusive”. Singh later disclosed Shah’s identity, claiming he received “numerous” messages from women sharing similar experiences after his initial post.
“The number of women who’ve reached out to me is honestly frightening,” Singh wrote. “I feel like I’m having a Margot Robbie moment from Bombshell. I will not be silenced. His name is Pratik Shah. He’s a cinematographer.”
Rajkummar Rao is set to portray Sourav Ganguly in the upcoming biopic, which will reportedly be directed by Vikramaditya Motwane.
Shah, known for his work on Vikramaditya Motwane’s series Jubilee and Netflix film CTRL, has since deleted his Instagram account and has not issued any statement on the issue.
Recently, in a statement, Dharma Productions clarified Shah’s limited association with them and said that no formal complaints had been received during his time on the project.
“At Dharma Productions, we have a zero-tolerance policy against inappropriate behaviour and sexual harassment towards any individual working with us in any capacity, and we treat sexual harassment cases very seriously,” PTI quoted the production banner.
Homebound director Neeraj Ghaywan did not mention Shah in his recent post thanking the entire cast and crew for the success of the film.
Four years ago, The Hollywood Reporter India had reported that Shah was under scrutiny after a young cinematographer reached out to a senior member of the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective. The cinematographer accused him of requesting a nude photo. Shah later apologised for the incident, as confirmed by a source close to the IWCC.
Ganguly’s biopic will follow the story of the Kolkata-born cricketer’s rise to captaincy. He was one of the most successful Indian cricket team captains, leading India to several Test wins and a World Cup final overseas.
Rajkummar, who plays Ganguly in the biopic, was recently seen in Karan Sharma’s Bhool Chuk Maaf alongside Wamiqa Gabbi. He also has Toaster and Maalik in the pipeline.
