North India Statesman
A sudden fire triggered alarm at Mumbai’s Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari (Film City) in Goregaon East on Monday evening, breaking out on a temporary production structure linked to director Nitesh Tiwari’s mythological epic Ramayana. Thick plumes of black smoke bellowing into the suburban skyline prompted swift concern across social media platforms. However, rapid mobilization by emergency responders and civic authorities ensured the blaze was brought under control within an hour without any casualties or injuries.
Fire Limited to Temporary PCR Unit and Equipment
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Mumbai Fire Brigade, a Level-I fire call was registered at approximately 4:02 PM behind Prime Focus Studio and Reliance Media Works within the Film City premises. The blaze was confined to a 100-by-20-foot temporary production control room (PCR) structure. Flames rapidly consumed electric wiring, cables, fittings, wooden scaffolding, bamboo partitions, air-conditioning units, sound systems, and sensitive shooting gear before four fire tenders, police teams, and 108 ambulance units fully doused the flames by 4:55 PM.
Adjoining TV Sets Disrupted, Main Stage Spared
While the primary sets and lead cast members—including Ranbir Kapoor (playing Lord Rama) and Sai Pallavi (playing Sita)—were not in immediate proximity during the flare-up, the incident caused temporary halts across neighboring studio floors. The adjacent shooting sets for the reality show MTV Hustle 5 and television production Pati Patni Aur Panga 2 reported localized disturbances and minor smoke damage as crew members were preemptively evacuated. Authorities confirmed that the core production infrastructure for Ramayana avoided catastrophic structural damage.
High Stakes for India’s Most Awaited Cinematic Epic
Produced by Namit Malhotra on an unprecedented visual scale, Ramayana ranks among the most ambitious multi-part cinematic projects in Indian entertainment history. With Ramayana: Part 1 targeting a grand theatrical rollout for Diwali, production teams have been operating round the clock on visual effects and live-action sequences. A formal probe has been initiated by municipal and fire safety officials to pinpoint the exact electrical or short-circuit trigger behind the blaze and verify safety compliance across temporary shooting structures in Film City.
