Cinematographer Pratik Shah dropped from Sourav Ganguly biopic amid abuse allegations

Following abuse allegations that surfaced last week, cinematographer Pratik Shah has been booted from the upcoming Rajkummar Rao-starrer. The film, which chronicles the life of the famed former cricketer Sourav Ganguly, began the initial stages of production last month.

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A source informed The Hollywood Reporter that the production pulled Shah from the Vikramaditya Motwane directorial and has begun the hunt for his replacement. "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," a source told the publication.

Shah had previously collaborated with Motwane in Ananya Pandey-starrer CTRL and period drama series Jubilee. The cinematographer’s most recent project came with Neeraj Ghaywan directorial Homebound, which premiered at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last month. The film, starring Ishaan Khatter and Janhvi Kapoor, earned a nine-minute standing ovation.

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Allegations against Shah came to light when independent filmmaker Abhinav Singh posted a story on his Instagram account detailing a troubling encounter he had with a certain unnamed cinematographer. After receiving an outpouring of messages—over twenty—he disclosed Shah’s identity, asserting that he will not be silenced.

Singh also alleged that Shah has been “on the prowl since 4 years” and criticized the film industry for having a selective attention span when the accused are acclaimed. The Hollywood Reporter had earlier reported that Shah had previously come under the radar of the Indian Women Cinematographer Collective (IWCC) when a young cinematographer came forward with a complaint.

Shah has since deactivated his Instagram account, with no statement yet from the 36-year-old.

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