Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War worker dies on set; ₹40 lakh announced, FWICE demands ₹50 lakh as compensation

A 42-year-old carpenter died of electrocution on Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War set in Mumbai, prompting calls for stricter safety measures.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film Love & War stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal. However, the project has run into a major controversy following a tragic accident on its set. Chandradhari Singh Yadav, a 42-year-old carpenter, died after suffering a severe electric shock during the early hours of June 17. The incident occurred at Royal Pump Studio in Mumbai’s Film City while actor Alia Bhatt was reportedly shooting. Preliminary findings suggest a short circuit caused the electrocution.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Love & War under scrutiny after worker dies; FWICE seeks ₹50 lakh, job for family.

Chandradhari Singh Yadav is survived by his wife and two young daughters. Following his death, Bhansali Productions offered ₹40 lakh in financial compensation to the grieving family.

FWICE asks for increased compensation

Following the recent tragedy on set, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has urged Sanjay Leela Bhansali's production house to increase the compensation for the family of the deceased technician, Chandradhari Singh Yadav. While the production house has already announced a financial assistance package of ₹40 lakh, FWICE is pushing to raise that amount to ₹50 lakh. The federation stresses that a larger sum is necessary to secure the future and education of Yadav's young daughters.

“Firstly, we want the compensation to be ₹50 lakh given his children are very young, and the family will need aide for their education. Also, we have called for stricter safety measures on set, and also have the work hours streamlined for these workers. He was such a talented technician, and it’s heartbreaking that he lost his life this way,” BN Tiwari told India Today.

In addition to financial aid, the federation has requested that Bhansali's production house offer employment to Yadav's wife. FWICE notes that a job would provide the grieving family with a reliable, stable source of income moving forward.

Work hours and safety concerns come under the spotlight

According to Money Control report, the crew member had been working extremely long hours just before his accident. FWICE general secretary Ashok Dubey revealed that Yadav was on duty from 7 am until 3 am the following day, repeating this gruelling schedule for three consecutive days.

In response, the federation has formally requested production houses to introduce stricter safety checks. They are pushing to regulate daily work shifts so technicians and crew members are no longer forced to work to the point of dangerous exhaustion.

About Love & War

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming period drama, Love & War, is currently one of Bollywood's most anticipated films. Mounted on a massive scale, the movie features a star-studded lead cast including Ranbir Kapoor, Vicky Kaushal, and Alia Bhatt. It is scheduled to hit theatres on January 21, 2027, with a release across Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu languages.

It marks Ranbir and Alia's first on-screen pairing since their 2022 blockbuster Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva. Additionally, Love & War brings Vicky Kaushal back together with both of his co-stars. He previously shared the screen with Ranbir in the 2018 biopic Sanju, and starred alongside Alia that same year in the critically acclaimed spy thriller Raazi.

Additionally, Love & War marks a special return to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali's world for the lead pair. It is Alia’s second collaboration with the filmmaker following Gangubai Kathiawadi, and Ranbir's second project with him since his debut in Saawariya.