Film stunt goes wrong, 2 Kannada actors jump from chopper and drown

The stunt was part of the shooting for the film ‘Masti Gudi’ starring Duniya Vijay, who swam to safety.

Bengaluru: In a tragic turn of events, two Kannada actors have died after a movie stunt went horribly wrong at Tippagondanahalli Lake in Bengaluru.

The actors were filming the stunts for an upcoming film ‘Masti Gudi,’ which stars Duniya Vijay in the lead role.

While filming the scene, Vijay and the two actors, Anil and Uday, jumped into the lake from a helicopter. While the lead actor swam ashore, the other two didn’t surface for a long time, post which a search party was immediately dispatched.

The incident, which took place around 3 pm on Monday, allegedly happened due to inadequate safety precautions. Reportedly, there had been no prior rehearsal to gauge the safety risks, either.

While a team of expert swimmers tried to recover the two actors, they could not retrieve anything. A safety harness was provided to the lead actor but none were provided to the other two. The two had even confessed to not being good swimmers before going into the shot. No ambulances or speedboats were on standby during the shoot.

The two actors are said to have been extremely skeptical, having no confidence in their ability to swim through and the safety measures being implemented.

Previously, yesteryear’s Malayalam superstar Jayan had also died in a helicopter accident in 1980 during the making of the film, ‘Kolilakkam’. Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan had also incurred a near fatal blow, rupturing his intestines, while filming a crucial action scene for his cult film, Coolie.