‘The entire Kesari set melted away,’Akshay Kumar opens up on the massive fire

Makers of Kesari have released a new video where Akshay Kumar and director Anurag Singh talk about the massive fire that engulfed sets of the film last year.

Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was shooting for his ambitious period drama Kesari when the sets caught fire last year. In a behind-the-scenes video for the film, Akshay has spoken about how the fire occurred and what happened thereafter. Kesari opened to mixed reviews and has been raking in moolah at the ticket windows. The film has collected Rs 87 crore in five days.

Akshay Kumar plays the lead role in Kesari, a film based on the battle of Saragarhi.

Talking about the fire that engulfed the Kesari sets in Wai, Akshay says in the video, “We had already almost finished all the shooting and were about to shoot an important portion for our battle. We were all set, there were about seven cameras, but then suddenly, there was fire. Within seconds, the entire set was engulfed in fire, even before anyone could react. We didn’t realise there was something that just took off and the entire set literally melted away.

“We knew we were just 10-12 days away from finishing the shoot. But the set burned down and it was so sad.We knew this is going to be so difficult to finish.We were there for four months, you get attached to a place when you stay there.I think all of us were crying when we saw the set burn down,” added director Anurag Singh.

“Next day, Akshay sir comes and takes me to the side and tells me ‘what is done is done, let us plan ahead. I was like ‘’wow!’ He was not thinking about the loss So I talked to Karan (Johar, producer) sir because this was he guy who invested so much money,” Anurag says Karan asked him not to worry and told him that it was God’s will.

“I would say full marks to the director on how he created an alternative plans and how the different teams including production, design, VFX, went about recreating the set through set extensions and visual effects, that too in Mumbai,” Akshay signed off.

Watch the second part of making of Kesari:

 

Directed by Anurag Sinha, Kesari is based on the battle of Saragarhi fought in September 1897 between the British Indian army’s Sikh Regiment and Afghan tribesmen. The British Indian contingent comprising 21 Sikh soldiers was attacked by around 10,000 Afghans and decided to fight to death - a battle considered by some as one of history’s greatest last-stands.

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