One of Bollywood’s biggest films now finds itself at the centre of a deeply unsettling tragedy. Love & War, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s star-studded production, has come under scrutiny after carpenter Chandradhari Yadav, aged 42, died while working on the set at Mumbai’s Royal Pump Studio in the early hours of June 17, pushing urgent questions about worker welfare and safety back into the spotlight.
Yadav is survived by his wife and two daughters. In the days following his death, workers’ representatives approached the makers for immediate support for the family, and Bhansali Productions has now offered Rs 40 lakh as compensation.
Compensation Offer And Union Demands Gather Focus
The compensation proposal has become the first concrete development after the incident, even as labour representatives continue to seek broader support for Yadav’s family. Along with the Rs 40 lakh offer, union bodies have asked the production to take responsibility for the children’s education and provide employment to Yadav’s wife.
FWICE president B.N. Tiwari said, “Apart from monetary compensation, we have requested the producer to take responsibility for the children’s education. Workers are often made to work far beyond the prescribed eight to ten hours, and there is a limit to how much a person can physically stretch themselves at work.”
He added, “Once the post-mortem report comes, we will decide our next course of action. No matter how big the producer is or how big a film is being made, workers’ lives cannot be put at risk.”
Safety Concerns Return To The Forefront
As the compensation discussion continues, the larger debate has shifted to conditions on film sets and whether basic safeguards are being enforced consistently enough. The confirmed timeline places the incident around 3 am at the Goregaon East studio, and authorities have yet to issue the post mortem findings.
FWICE honorary general secretary Ashok Dubey said, “Chandradhari had been working continuously on the set for the past three days and had been on duty from 7 am until 3 am on the day of the incident. According to those present, he suffered an electric shock and was rushed to hospital, where he passed away.”
Ashoke Pandit, president of the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association and chief advisor to FWICE, stressed the need for tighter inspections. He said, “We have repeatedly urged producer bodies, studios and government authorities to conduct regular audits of sets, electrical wiring and cabling, considering that 150 to 200 workers are often present on a set.”
He further added, “There are lives at stake and significant investments involved in building these sets. Mandatory compliance with fire, electrical and structural safety norms and comprehensive SOPs is the need of the hour.”
Why Love & War Has Drawn Such Sharp Attention
That debate has intensified further because this was not a small production operating away from public attention. Love & War is one of the most high-profile Hindi films currently in production, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal. Produced by Bhansali Productions, the film is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 20, 2026, which has made the incident on its set a matter of industry-wide concern, not just an isolated workplace tragedy.
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