VFX studios recreate 26/11 attacks and Mumbai landmarks for film Prahaar

AnimationXpress reports on the visual effects work behind Prahaar, a film reconstructing historical events including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. Two studios, SM Rolling FX and Squad VFX, delivered nearly 800 VFX shots in three months. SM Rolling FX, led by Sumit Wadhokar, recreated Arthur Road Jail and the historical Wagah border using Blender; the border sequence was entirely CGI, complicated by decades of infrastructural changes on both sides.

Squad VFX, under supervisor Akhilesh Jain, tackled the 26/11 recreations at the Taj and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, balancing live-action footage with digital effects to convey scale and intensity. Both teams prioritised historical accuracy and emotional narrative over spectacle.

Jain stated: "Every visual had to support the storytelling and make the audience feel that they were witnessing events as they actually unfolded." The studios used archival research, period-accurate set extensions and careful integration of lighting and atmospheric elements to authenticate the recreated environments.