Kedarnath: Ronnie Screwvala takes over from KriArj Entertainment; second schedule to begin soon

After months of being in limbo, Abhishek Kapoor-directed Kedarnath is now ready to start filming the second schedule. The film, which marks the debut of Sara Ali Khan and stars Sushant Singh Rajput as the male lead, has been taken over by producer Ronnie Screwvala. The film was earlier being bankrolled by KriArj Entertainment and Bhushan Kumar. However, its shooting came to halt after a very public fallout between the producers and director.

Screwvala has reportedly paid KriArj and Kumar a sum of Rs 14 crore, while Ekta Kapoor, who was also one of the backers, has received Rs 8 crore from the producer, reports Mumbai Mirror . Screwvala confirmed the news and told the publication, “Kedarnath is a great love story set against the backdrop of the powerful true life event that affected us all during the floods in 2013. It completely matches my vision of great stories that need to be told and I can’t wait to bring this story to the audiences early next year.”

Kedarnath first landed in troubled waters after the budget was reportedly exceeded during the first leg. KriArj Entertainment had accused Abhishek of wasting film resources and therefore, straining the budget. Abhishek returned the favour by accusing the production house of non-payment of dues. The tiff had brought the film to a standstill. However, the director is now ready to pick up the slack after Screwvala’s entry.