Ajay Devgn to play a grey supernatural character in Rohit Jugraj’s horror film ‘Griha Pravesh’ 21 years after ‘Kaal’

Actor Ajay Devgn is set to return to darker, morally complex roles with the upcoming horror film Griha Pravesh, directed by Rohit Jugraj. According to The Times of India, Devgn will reportedly portray a supernatural character with shades of grey, marking his return to this territory nearly 21 years after the 2005 film Kaal. The film, initially expected to begin production in July, has now been pushed to September, with the team set to shoot in Mumbai before moving to the UK.

Shoot plans reshaped due to commitments

Citing a report from Mid-Day, both NewsBytes and The Times of India state that the makers had originally planned to shoot the entire film in the UK, but Devgn's existing professional commitments led to a change in schedule. As quoted by a source in the Times of India, “The first schedule has been postponed because Ajay is shooting the television series Crime Patrol, which he is hosted, and he is also completing the last schedule for the jungle adventure film, Ranger.” The quote further explains that producer Kumar Mangat and Rohit Jugraj felt it would save more time to complete a chunk of the schedule in Mumbai and then go to London later in the year.

The opening schedule is expected to run for around a week and will focus on introducing the principal characters, according to The Times of India. Portions of the film will be shot on Mumbai sets designed to resemble the interiors of a British home, as noted by both sources.

Story draws from Garuda Puran

Griha Pravesh reportedly draws inspiration from the ancient Sanskrit text, Garuda Puran, a tradition attributed to Veda Vyasa. As reported by The Times of India, the scripture features a conversation between Lord Vishnu and Garuda and covers human duties, death, karma, rebirth, and the journey of the soul after death. Both NewsBytes and The Times of India agree that the Puran is divided into two parts: Purva Khanda, which covers life and duties, and Preta Khanda, focusing on death, the afterlife journey of the soul, and funeral rites.

A source quoted by The Times of India described Devgn's character as 'somewhere connected to all this as a corrupted soul,' and noted of the film, "The story is fascinating and something out of the ordinary." Both reports suggest these themes are closely tied to Devgn's character.

Production timetable and future schedule

After completing the first schedule, Devgn will reportedly promote Drishyam 3, which The Times of India says is scheduled to release in October, before starting work on the thriller Chauhaan in December. NewsBytes also reports that the first schedule was initially postponed due to Devgn hosting Crime Patrol and completing work on Ranger.

Griha Pravesh marks the second horror collaboration between Devgn and Jugraj, who previously worked as an assistant to filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma on Bhoot (2003), a horror film led by Devgn, according to The Times of India.