Ranveer
Singh’s foray into production is already making waves, even before his ambitious debut venture Pralay goes on floors. The post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, directed by Jai Mehta, is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing Bollywood projects in recent times. While the film promises a never-seen-before world and genre experimentation, what’s now grabbing attention is how Singh personally stepped in to finalise the female lead. Reports suggest that Kalyani Priyadarshan, who was initially unsure about making her Hindi film debut with a zombie thriller, came on board only after Dhurandhar star Ranveer’s direct intervention. Read on to know how he convinced the Lokah Chapter One actress.
How Ranveer Singh convinced Kalyani Priyadarshan
According to a
mid-day report, Singh played a crucial role in roping in Kalyani Priyadarshan as the female lead of
Pralay, a zombie thriller directed by Jai Mehta. Kalyani, who recently caught widespread attention with her superhero turn in the Malayalam blockbuster
Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra (2025), was reportedly hesitant about stepping into Bollywood at this point in her career. Despite being the daughter of acclaimed filmmaker Priyadarshan, sources say she remains cautious about working in the Hindi film industry.
The portal quoted a source as saying, “Though her father Priyadarshan is well-known in Bollywood, Kalyani doesn’t have much knowledge about the Hindi film industry. The actor, who is on a career high after Lokah’s success, was taking her time to discern whether she should step into Hindi movies and if
Pralay would be the best launch vehicle."However, Ranveer Singh himself made it happen. It is his own home production, so the actor picked up the phone himself and convinced her. Reportedly, Ranveer and Kalyani had a long chat. After that, the actress finally understood that Ranveer and Jai are doing something new with the film and came on board. As per the same report, Kalyani is currently in Mumbai to lock the deal and finalise her dates.
More about Pralay
Pralay is envisioned as a post-apocalyptic zombie thriller, with Ranveer Singh and his wife in the film, played by Kalyani, fighting for survival in a collapsing world. The film is co-produced by Sameer Nair and Hansal Mehta, adding further credibility to the project.As per reports,
Pralay will follow the protagonist’s struggle for survival, using the zombie framework to explore social, emotional and moral collapse. Jai Mehta is said to reimagine Mumbai in a
Hunger Games-style setup, lending the film a dystopian edge. The film is expected to go on floors in April.