Minutes Before Deadly Stunt, Kannada Actor Said He Can’t Swim Well

Kannada actors Uday and Anil jumped from a helicopter into a reservoir as a stunt for the film ‘Mastigudi’.

Kannada actors Uday (left) and Anil (right) were performing the stunt as a part of the film Mastigudi. (Photo Courtesy: The News Minute)

Two Kannada film actors have gone missing and are feared drowned, in a stunt gone wrong at Thippagondanahalli reservoir on Magadi Road, 35km west of Bengaluru. The stunt was part of the shooting for the film Mastigudi starring Duniya Vijay.

Also Read: Stunt Gone Wrong: Kannada Film Actor Raghava Uday’s Tragic Death

As part of the stunt, Vijay and two other actors, Anil and Uday, jumped into the reservoir from a helicopter. While Vijay swam to the shore, the two other actors did not surface. A search operation is on to find the duo. However, police have said that the chances of recovering them are slim.

Vijay who was trying to swim toward the shore was rescued by a fisherman who was on his country boat.

Watch the full video of the stunt gone wrong:

According to locals, the place where stunt was being picturised was a dangerous spot as there is about 30-40 ft of silt below 15-20 feet of water.

Officials said lack of precautionary measures and faulty rescue boats were stated to be the main cause for the mishap.

The incident took place around 3 pm on Monday. Sources allege that adequate safety measures were not taken during the shoot which went ahead without any prior rehearsals.

Speaking to a Kannada news channel before performing the stunt, Uday had said he was "scared" of the stunt and was not good at swimming.

I’m very scared first of all. I have not done (such stunt) so far, nor have I seen anyone performing such stunt so far, so I’m scared. Whatever safety is done there is always a  fear within oneself, despite that the situation is that I have  to perform it.

The actors before they went missing at the Thippagondanahalli reservoir. (Photo: ANI)

Accidents during film shoots have occurred in the past. Malayalam actor Jayan died in an accident on the sets of the film Kolilakkam in 1980. While shooting for the 1973 film Gandhada Gudi, actor Vishnuvardhan nearly shot Raj Kumar with a loaded gun.

The most infamous case out of Bollywood was the injury suffered by Amitabh Bachchan on the sets of Coolie, when the actor ruptured his intestine during the shooting of a fight sequence.

(With inputs from The News Minute, PTI)