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Hindustan Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Boat capsizes during Kantara Chapter 1 shoot; Rishab Shetty, 30 crew members escape unhurt
A boat capsized at a reservoir in Shivamogga during the shooting of Kannada film Kantara: Chapter 1, but actor-director Rishab Shetty and 30 crew members escaped unhurt, averting a major mishap, police sources said. (Also Read: Rishab Shetty's Kantara Chapter 1 unit suffers another loss; actor Kalabhavan Niju dies of heart attack) They added that this incident allegedly occurred during the filming of Kantara: Chapter 1 in the Mani reservoir in the Masti Katte region of Shivamogga district. The accident occurred in a shallow zone of the reservoir, near an area locally known as Melina Koppa, which helped avert a possible tragedy. However, cameras and other filming equipment are believed to have been lost to the water. The losses are yet to be assessed. According to the Thirthahalli police, who visited the spot, people onboard escaped unhurt. Police are investigating. Theatre artist Ramadas Poojary told PTI that making a movie on the spirits of Dakshina Kannada is always risky, as the spirits (Bhootas-Daivas) do not like the commercialisation of any activity connected to them. However, Rishab Shetty, who reveres the spirits, has conducted elaborate poojas to them and was given permission to make the film, says Poojary. A senior crew member who spoke to PTI on the condition of anonymity said some of the crew members panicked when the boat overturned, but since it was in the shallow waters, all of them waded through to safety. "It shows that the spirits have blessed us in some way," the crew member said. This incident marks yet another setback for Kantara: Chapter 1, which is grappling with a series of unfortunate events. In the past month alone, the production team has lost three artists to unrelated incidents, adding to the challenges faced by the film's crew. Kantara: Chapter 1 is slated for release on 2 October.


Time of India
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
'Kantara 2' star Kalabhavan Niju pases away at 43; dies of heart attack amid film shoot
Picture Credit: X 'Kantara 2' team suffered another loss as mimicry artist and actor Kalabhavan Niju, aged 43, tragically passed away on Thursday in Bengaluru, where the film is currently in production. According to an Onmanorama report, Niju had complained of severe chest pain while at the homestay arranged for junior artists. He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he succumbed to a heart attack. Coming from Vadanappally in Thrissur, Niju was a well-known mimicry artist who had an experience of around 25 years in the field. He started doing mimicry two decades ago during a roadshow conducted by Kerala's mimicry artists. His work was appreciated in supporting roles, most notably in the hit film 'Malikappuram', where he shared screen space with Unni Mukundan and also appeared in the action film 'Marco'. Niju had earned his place in the Rishab Shetty starrer 'Kantara 2' through auditions. He is now the third member to pass away during the production of 'Kantara 2'. He is also the second Malayali artist to die while associated with the film. Just weeks ago, popular Kannada actor Rakesh Pujari, known for his role in 'Kantara 1', died of cardiac arrest at the age of 33. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pinga-Pinga e HBP? Tome isso 1x ao dia se tem mais de 40 anos Portal Saúde do Homem Clique aqui Undo On the other hand, a junior artiste M.F. Kapil, who was working on 'Kantara: Chapter 1', drowned in the Souparnika river in Karnataka's Udupi district. The makers later issued a statement, expressing their deep sadness by his untimely passing, however, they clarified that the incident did not occur on the sets of Kantara. They wrote, "No filming was scheduled on that day, and the unfortunate event would have occurred during his personal engagement outside the scope of any film related activity. "