Ajay Devgn’s ‘Chauhan’ turns Mumbai into Kashmir: Inside the tightrope walk of a high-stakes production

As Ajay Devgn balances a packed slate of blockbusters, his latest project ‘Chauhan’ turns Mumbai’s sets into a gritty Kashmiri landscape, defying logistical hurdles to hit the screen.

The buzz around Ajay Devgn is undeniable, but it isn’t just his upcoming slate of films keeping the industry on its toes. A sharp, atmospheric teaser for his project Chauhan—a narrative centered on stone-pelting and military friction in Kashmir—has ignited intense social media chatter. While the project, helmed by debutant director Neeraj Yadav, aims to capture the volatile spirit of the valley, the reality of the production is far more urban. In a clever piece of cinematic craft, the makers have transformed Mumbai locations into the rugged terrain of Kashmir to keep the project on track.

Behind the scenes, the timeline for Chauhan has been anything but smooth. Originally slated for an earlier start, the production faced a delay of roughly two months due to complex pre-production requirements and the need for rigorous creative fine-tuning. Preparation for the film actually kicked off four to five months ago, but the logistical choreography of the shoot proved to be the real challenge.

The art of the 'stand-in' shoot

The production team opted for a two-stage approach to mitigate scheduling conflicts. Background footage and atmospheric visuals were captured nearly two months ago, while the scenes featuring Ajay Devgn were filmed only 10 to 12 days prior to the teaser's release. Sources indicate that the superstar spent just one day on set for the teaser, with dummy setups and stand-in actors filling the gaps—a common practice when a leading man is juggling a massive portfolio of films.

A heavy slate and the ‘Ranger’ deadline

Ajay Devgn’s current calendar is packed, featuring high-profile projects like Drishyam 3, Golmaal 5, and an upcoming horror film from Panorama. Amidst this, his film Ranger is also nearing the finish line. The final schedule for Ranger is set to wrap up in Mumbai this July, with about 15 days of work remaining. Managing the promotion of one project while wrapping the climax of another has turned into a high-stakes balancing act for the actor and his production teams.

Why it matters

This production strategy highlights a growing trend in the Indian entertainment industry: the shift toward "modular" filmmaking. For top-tier stars, the traditional month-long block of filming is increasingly being replaced by strategic, multi-stage scheduling. While this allows actors to maintain a prolific output, it places immense pressure on directors like Yadav—who is working under the banner of producer Aanand L. Rai—to maintain visual continuity while working around the limited physical presence of their leads. It’s a logistical game of chess where Mumbai’s infrastructure is pushed to mimic the most sensitive landscapes in the country, proving that in modern cinema, the "set" is often as much about clever management as it is about physical location.