An 8-year-old girl and her mother died after a cylinder used for the shoot of the Kannada film Ranam exploded on sets. The team was shooting a car blast sequence in Shell Company Bunk in Bengaluru, when the debris from the car hit a family of four who had come to watch the shoot.
The deceased have been identified as Arya (8) and Sumera (28). The father and another child were reportedly injured and admitted to Ambedkar Hospital in the city. The inspector handling the incident told Silverscreen that a case has been registered, and the police are looking for the film’s production unit who have been missing since the incident last afternoon.
The police are in process of ascertaining what permissions were obtained before shoot. “They got permission from election commission because this is election time. We are collecting more information. The bodies of the deceased have been identified, and the father was with them when the incident happened,” he said.
He also clarified that a hydrogen gas cylinder was used, and not an LPG cylinder. He said cylinder blast sequences must be shot with a lot of caution, “Filmmakers have to take all precautions before shooting such scenes. They must select an isolated space and ensure no one is around.”
The film’s spokesperson told Silverscreen that prior permission was not obtained from the police or fire department. “They had not taken permission, or informed the police in the area before shoot. The producer, director and the unit have now absconded from police.”
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Producer of the film, Kanakapura Srinivas, has been unavailable for comments. The source said that the film’s cast were not informed about this shoot sequence. The film stars Chethan Ahimsa in the role of a social worker and activist. Chiranjeevi Sarja makes a guest appearance, and the movie is directed by V Samudra.
The second stage of shooting was going on at Shell Company Bunk, an industrial area in the city when the incident took place. The team was reportedly shooting a scene where two cars were supposed to collide and catch fire. The impact of the blast was very high, and Sumera and Arya died on spot.
Image Courtesy: The News Minute