Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s much awaited magnum opus, Love & War, is now facing major turbulence. The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has officially issued a demand for the registration of an FIR against the experienced director after an untimely death incident that took place on the movie’s shooting location in Mumbai.
The legal move adds to the ongoing discussions in the industry about long working shifts and lack of safety precautions on expensive Bollywood shooting locations.
‘Love & War’ Shoot Halted
The dispute is as a result of a tragic incident that happened at the crack of dawn on June 17, 2026, at the Royal Pump Studio in close proximity to Film City, Mumbai. The unfortunate death of Chandradhari Singh Yadav, a 42-year old carpenter who had been working on the set of the film, took place due to an electric shock that he suffered.
The family of the deceased is comprised of his wife and two young girls. While the film production house of Bhansali had promptly made a payment of ₹40 lakh, other industry bodies want a lot more to be done. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has openly appealed to Bhansali to increase the amount of compensation to ₹50 lakh and take responsibility of the education of Yadav’s children.
AICWA Appeals for Criminal Charges against Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Going a bit further, the AICWA president, Suresh Shyamlal Gupta, sent an official letter to the chief minister of Maharashtra, Mr. Devendra Fadnavis. This film body is seeking instant legal action against the director and his production company.
“Register an FIR against Producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the concerned production house, and all persons found responsible under charges of murder, culpable homicide, negligence, and all other applicable legal provisions,” the AICWA letter stated.
The trade body also alleged that several other individuals were hurt in the same incident, adding that proper safety infrastructure had not been strictly followed, considering that Love & War was a huge budget movie of ₹350+ crore made by stars such as Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.
Grueling 20-Hour Shifts and Past Set History Under Fire
This unfortunate episode has brought out the longstanding frustrations with working conditions in Hindi films. As told by FWICE General Secretary Ashok Dubey, Yadav had been made to work under an extremely exhausting schedule for three days before his untimely death. According to the AICWA’s letter, the daily wage laborers have been forced to work for 16 to 20 hours per day without proper safety supervision.
More importantly, this is not an isolated case involving any Bhansali production house. According to the letter, there were tragic accidents on his sets in the past, involving the death of workers Dindayal Yadav and Subhash Morkar while shooting for the film Devdas (2002) and the death of 34-year-old Mukesh Dakiya in the film Padmaavat (2018).
Considering that industry organizations have called for an inquiry into this issue at a high level along with electrical audit, the time frame for Love & War, which is currently locked to be released on January 21, 2027, will come under intense scrutiny.
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Sunny Singh is a Journalist and Content Writer with a strong affinity for Bollywood and Hollywood insiders, music and more. Somewhat of a writer and poet himself, he thrives on giving life to words and deliver all you need to know about the entertainment sector.
The post Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Love & War In Trouble? AICWA Demands FIR After Worker’s Death appeared first on NewsX.
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