Sourav Ganguly Biopic Shoot: England Cricket Club Fined Over Rs 6 Lakh for Unscheduled Filming

Leicestershire were fined £5,000 and docked 27 points after their pitch was rated 'poor' for variable bounce. Groundsman Callum Lewin blamed an unscheduled 'Dada' biopic shoot, but the panel rejected it as mitigation, leaving them facing relegation.

The former India captain and batting legend Sourav Ganguly’s biopic has come under scrutiny after an England cricket club, Leicestershire, was heavily fined £5,000 (roughly Rs 6.43 lakh) and slapped with a 27-point deduction.

Leicestershire is currently playing in the ongoing season of the County Championship Division 1, where they are battling hard to escape from relegating to Division 2 following the severe penalty handed down by the Cricket Discipline Panel. Leicestershire are currently at the bottom of the points table with just two wins from 13 matches while accumulating 92 points.

The club’s home ground, Uptonsteel Grace Road, became a centre of controversy after a match against Glamorgan produced alarming variable bounce, prompting match officials to rate the surface as 'poor'.

Unscheduled Ganguly Biopic Shoot Interrupted Pitch Preparations

Rajkummar Rao-starrer Sourav Ganguly’s biopic ‘Dada’ found itself at the center of an unexpected sporting controversy after filming crews utilised the square at Grace Road.

According to Leicestershire head groundsman Callum Lewin stated that the unexpected film shoot severely disrupted the standard preparation window, leaving insufficient time to adequately roll and prepare the surface before the team took the field against Glamorgan.

“It is a used pitch this time around. We had two T20s on it 10 weeks ago. There were a lot of circumstances leading up to the game that were just out of my control, such as the weather being 35 degrees," Lewin told the Cricket Regulator.

“We also had an unscheduled Bollywood filming event four days before (the match vs Glamorgan), and I was not allowed to work on the pitch. I was not allowed to cover it or anything," he added.

believe the "unscheduled Bollywood filming event" was next year's Sourav Ganguly biopic, Dada https://t.co/ieEQIdSZcM pic.twitter.com/MDWyb1aV6v

— Nick Friend (@NickFriend1) September 16, 2026

The shooting of the UK leg of the movie ‘Dada’ began in July 2026, with Rajkummar Rao and the film’s crew filming at Leicestershire’s Uptonsteel Grace Road. The shoot reportedly took place four days before the match against Glamorgan, and therefore, the pitch apparently became more vulnerable to drying out, with groundsman Callum Lewin unable to cover or work on it during the filming.

However, the Cricket Discipline Panel rejected the shoot as a mitigating factor, noting that filming lasted only one day.

Leicestershire Gets 10 Days to Appeal the Verdict

Leicestershire confirmed that the Cricket Discipline Panel has imposed a heavy fine alongside a 27-point deduction from their County Championship total, leaving the club with a 10-day window to launch an appeal against the verdict.

“The Club notes the Cricket Discipline Panel's decision, which imposes an eight-point deduction, an additional eight-point deduction suspended until the end of the 2027 season, and a financial penalty of 5,000 pounds,” Leicestershire said in a statement.

“Panel's decision, the Club is reviewing its position and considering all available options." the club added.

Leicestershire decision understandably provoking plenty of reaction.

Officials very wary of marking down pitches, such are these consequences. But a big difference between low-scoring decks that seam and surfaces that are verging on dangerous.

These are consecutive deliveries: pic.twitter.com/Q89jTEb0fr

— Nick Friend (@NickFriend1) September 17, 2026

Meanwhile, Leicestershire need to win against Hampshire and Warwickshire in order to stay clear of the drop zone and secure their safety in the top tier as the County Championship season draws to a close.