Actor Kajal Aggarwal recently recalled the horror of the night when a crane accident on the sets of Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 in Chennai claimed three lives. In a chat with Humans of Bombay, Kajal opened up about what happened during the shoot and revealed how she believes a divine intervention saved her life.
Kajal Aggarwal recalls near-fatal accident on Indian 2 sets
In February 2020, a tragic crane accident occurred on the sets of Kamal Haasan's Indian 2 at EVP Film City in Nazrathpet, near Chennai. Three crew members, including an assistant director and technicians, were killed, while nine others were injured after a heavy-duty 100-foot crane being used to set up lighting collapsed onto a canopy. Later, Kamal Haasan and the production house announced financial assistance of ₹1 crore each for the families of the deceased crew members.
Recalling the accident, Kajal said it made her question how she had survived, as she could not believe she was still alive. She said, “It was in the news; it was a huge accident on the set of Indian 2. There was this 100-foot crane that fell down and took three lives on set, and I would have been the first one to go. Literally, I don't know how I am alive, but I swear to you, there was a hand that pulled me out.”
Deep Dive
What happened in the crane accident on the Indian 2 set?
How did Kajal Aggarwal escape the Indian 2 crane accident?
What was Kajal Aggarwal doing when the crane fell on the Indian 2 set?
Kajal recalled that the cast and crew were filming a massive action sequence during a night shoot. She said the actors were seated behind the monitor in a tent-like setup when everyone suddenly started running. Dressed in prosthetic makeup to look like an 80-year-old woman, Kajal also began running without knowing what was happening. In the rush, she accidentally stumbled against a console table.
{{/usCountry}}Kajal recalled that the cast and crew were filming a massive action sequence during a night shoot. She said the actors were seated behind the monitor in a tent-like setup when everyone suddenly started running. Dressed in prosthetic makeup to look like an 80-year-old woman, Kajal also began running without knowing what was happening. In the rush, she accidentally stumbled against a console table.
{{/usCountry}}She added, “That’s literally when I thought to myself, ‘What am I running away from? Let me just turn around and see once.’ I turned my head back, and I saw a 100-foot crane falling down towards me. All of this happened in a split second. I saw it falling, and I was just frozen in fear. I couldn’t fathom what was happening. At that time, there was a hand that yanked me out of that tent, and the crane fell right next to me. I was looking at it and shivering. Nobody was around me. My staff came running to check on me. I asked my staff if they pulled me out, but they were all away, and I wondered who pulled me.” She also revealed that her family was shaken by the incident.
Indian 2 received negative reviews from critics, with many considering it inferior to its predecessor. The film was criticised for its runtime and the screenplay's lack of emotional depth, although the performances of Kamal Haasan, Siddharth and SJ Suryah received some praise. Despite underperforming commercially, the film grossed ₹150 crore worldwide and became the fifth-highest-grossing Tamil film of 2024 by the end of its theatrical run.
About Kajal Aggarwal's recent release
Kajal is currently seen as Mandodari in Ramayana. Helmed by Nitesh Tiwari, the film also stars Yash, Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi, and Ravie Dubey in key roles. The film has collected over ₹1,000 crore worldwide in just eight days.
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