Dev Patel shoots intense action sequence for The Peasant in Manali

Dev Patel

After going places to can his next, The Peasant, actor, writer, and director Dev Patel and his crew are now in Manali to shoot a large-scale action sequence in the hills. The film went on floors in December 2025 and has been shot across Madhya Pradesh, Mumbai, and Rajasthan, before moving to Manali a week ago.

This portion of the film hinges on a physically demanding set piece that plays out across uneven, mountainous terrain. "They've been rehearsing it like movement through space, running, and chasing. The idea is [to make the audience] feel the exhaustion of it," shares a source close to the production. Those familiar with the schedule say the Manali portion has been among the tougher legs of the shoot so far.

Dev Patel made his directorial debut with ‘Monkey Man'. Pics/Instagram

Unlike the usually heavily stylised action sequences, this scene is being built with practical movement, where the terrain does the heavy lifting. The source tells mid-day that the crew has been shooting in tighter pockets around Manali, which has kept things relatively low-key despite the scale. There's also been a noticeable presence of stunt coordinators on location. "They will shoot there for about 10 days in total and have one last leg in Mumbai before wrapping up," adds the source.

Did you know?

The script of ‘The Peasant' wasn't originally based in India. It was written by Will Dunn, of ‘Ms Marvel' fame, and was initially set in medieval Italy. Dev Patel loved the core concept and spent months rewriting it with Dunn to move the action to 14th-century India

What's ‘The Peasant' about?

The story follows a 14th-century Indian shepherd who embarks on a brutal, rage-fuelled campaign for retribution against a group of mercenary knights who ransacked his village