Who pulled Kajal Aggarwal to safety? Ramayana star recalls terrifying crane accident

Kajal Aggarwal has opened up about a terrifying incident on the sets of Shankar's Tamil film Indian 2 (2024), recalling how she narrowly escaped being crushed by a falling crane during a night shoot in Chennai. The actress, who appeared in a cameo in the Kamal Haasan-starrer, said she still cannot comprehend how she survived the accident, which claimed three lives and left several others injured.

Kajal Aggarwal recalled narrowly escaping a crane accident on the sets of Indian 2 in 2020

In a chat with Humans of Bombay, Kajal Aggarwal recalled escaping a crane accident on Indian 2 sets: "I don't know how I am alive," she remarked.

The accident took place in February 2020 at EVP Film City in Nazrathpet, near Chennai. A 100-foot crane being used to arrange lighting for the shoot collapsed onto a canopy, killing three crew members, including an assistant director and technicians. Nine others sustained injuries. Following the tragedy, Kamal Haasan and the film's production house announced financial assistance of ₹1 crore each for the families of the deceased.

Recounting the incident in a recent interview, Kajal said she was among those seated behind the monitor in a tent-like enclosure while the team was filming a large-scale action sequence. The shoot was underway at night when people around her suddenly began running. Unaware of what had happened, the actress, who was wearing prosthetic makeup to look like an 80-year-old woman, joined them.

In the commotion, she stumbled against a console table. She then decided to turn around to understand why she was running. What she saw next left her paralysed with fear.

“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,” she recalled.

Describing the moments leading up to the accident, Kajal said, “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.

The actress added that she was left trembling as the structure collapsed. Her staff members soon rushed to check on her, but none of them had pulled her away from the tent. Kajal said she even asked them who had rescued her, as everyone from her team had been elsewhere when the incident occurred. She also revealed that the accident left her family deeply shaken.

Kajal is currently seen as Mandodari in Ramayana, directed by Nitesh Tiwari. The film features Yash, Ranbir Kapoor, Sai Pallavi and Ravie Dubey in key roles. It has already crossed the ₹1,000-crore mark at the worldwide box office within just eight days of its release.

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