Pratik Shah likely to be dropped from Sourav Ganguly biopic amid sexual misconduct allegations

Cinematographer Pratik Shah is expected to be removed from the upcoming Sourav Ganguly biopic, starring Rajkummar Rao, following serious allegations of sexual misconduct.

This comes after Shah who had been involved in pre-production activities and was recently on a location scouting trip for the film.

The film’s makers are reconsidering their association with Pratik Shah

The accusations came to light after filmmaker Abhinav Singh publicly shared testimonies from several women on social media, describing Shah as “emotionally abusive” and “highly manipulative.” The post has since gained traction within the film community.

The biopic, which is set to be directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, known for his collaborations with Shah on projects like the Ananya Panday-led CTRL and Prime Video’s Jubilee, is currently in the pre-production stage. Shah had been scouting locations in London before returning to India, where the allegations surfaced shortly after.

Sources close to the production confirmed that the team is now looking for a replacement and will proceed with a new cinematographer before filming begins.

In response to the growing controversy, Shah has deactivated his Instagram account.

This follows further revelations that he had previously faced internal scrutiny nearly four years ago, after a complaint was lodged with a senior member of the Indian Women Cinematographers’ Collective (IWCC) alleging he had solicited a nude photograph. At the time, Shah reportedly issued an apology.

Abhinav Singh, who has directed acclaimed short films such as Sita (featuring Shriya Pilgaonkar) and Yatri Kripya Dhyan De (starring Shaheer Sheikh and Shweta Basu Prasad), said that multiple women approached him privately with accounts of Shah’s behaviour.

These testimonies, shared in the report, describe interactions that allegedly crossed professional boundaries and often veered into inappropriate, sexual territory. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta publicly urged the film industry to "call out predators" and support safer work environments.