Pralay: Hansal Mehta Clarifies Ranveer Singh’s Zombie Thriller Is NOT An Adaptation; Says, “Jai Had Been Working On This Idea For A Long Time”

Hansal Mehta shares how Ranveer Singh approached Jai Mehta for Pralay, an ambitious zombie thriller set in a post-apocalyptic universe. Singh is venturing into uncharted territory with Pralay, a high-stakes survival thriller that seeks to expand the horizons of genre filmmaking in Hindi cinema. Directed by Jai Mehta, the film is produced under Hansal Mehta’s banner True Story Films. It will be a co-production by Ranveer’s Maa Kasam Films.

Ranveer Singh Initiated Pralay

The journey began when Ranveer Singh took the initiative to reach out to Jai Mehta, attracted by his previous work. Hansal Mehta revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, “Jai had been working on this idea for a long time. When Ranveer saw his directorial work, he was impressed. Then Jai pitched the idea to him. Once Ranveer said he liked the idea, we invested in developing it—helping Jai create the world he wants to present in the film. Ranveer’s conviction and commitment towards both the script and Jai has enabled Pralay.”

Hansal Mehta On How Pralay Is Different

The filmmaker shared, “It’s a post-apocalyptic world that hasn’t been attempted before at this scale in India. Development is not just about writing. It also includes ideas—how you shape them, how you visualise them, and how you eventually sell them to a third party, to a star or a studio. We’ve invested in building those ideas.”

Hansal Mehta Clarifies On Pralay NOT Being An Adaptation Of Blindness

Mehta clarifies that the film is an original story and not an adaptation. Online chatter suggested that Pralay is adapted from the 1995 novel Blindness by the Portuguese Nobel Laureate José Saramago. The rumours seem to stem from an Instagram post by Kalyani Priyadarshan, the female lead of Pralay, who was recommended the book by Jai Mehta.

“It’s not an adaptation,” Hansal Mehta clarified. “Jay and Vishal Kapoor have written the original story. Further, I think a book like Blindness is not easily adapted to film. I had seen the 2008 film adaptation (starring Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo) and it wasn’t great. Writers like Saramago or Salman Rushdie… I feel they are best experienced on paper. Their books lose all their magic when interpreted for cinema.”

About Pralay

With a reported budget of Rs 300 crore, Pralay is currently in pre-production, with an international crew being assembled. The filmmakers aim to craft a world that meets global standards and maintains cost efficiency. Pralay marks Jai Mehta’s feature directorial debut, with Vishal Kapoor co-writing the screenplay. The film promises extensive world-building within a zombie-ravaged dystopian city. Production is expected to commence in mid-2026.

Actress Kalyani Priyadarshan is reportedly attached to the project. However, an official confirmation is awaited.

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Also Read: Ranveer Singh Led Zombie Drama Pralay To Be Made On A Mega-Budget Of Rs 300 Cr- Report

Akankshya Mukherjee

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