Stunt actor’s body fished out from lake
Bengaluru, Nov 9, 2016, (PTI): Two days after the fatal leap from a helicopter, the body of one of the two stunt actors, who drowned during an action scene for a Kannada film, was recovered today from the Tippagondanahalli lake, near here.
The body of Uday was fished out by the National Disaster Response Force-led search team, even as the lake with deep silt and weeds was being scoured looking for the remains of the other stunt actor Anil, police said.
“Uday’s body has been recovered,” said popular Kannada actor Duniya Vijay, who had a narrow escape after he was rescued by a fisherman when he and the other two jumped from the helicopter into the lake in a horrific scene caught on camera. Vijay has been at the site since the mishap happened.
A post-mortem was performed on the body of Uday and it was handed over to his inconsolable family.
The mishap had occurred on Monday while shooting a stunt scene for the climax of the film “Maastigudi”, amid allegations that even basic safety measures were not in place, made worse by the rescue boat facing technical glitch.
Police struggled to control hundreds of people who had swarmed in and around the lake in Ramanagara district, near Bengaluru, impeding the operation.
Home Minister G Parameshwara who visited the site told reporters that “appropriate action” would be taken against those found guilty after police investigation. He said priority now was to recover the other body.
With the film unit coming in the line of fire, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce today directed Duniya Vijay, director Nagashekhar and stunt director Ravi Varma not to involve themselves in any film-related activity till “further orders”.
Chamber President Sa Ra Govindu said the “order” would hold good until they discuss the various aspects related to the incident with all the three, who have been faulted on various grounds.
“We respect it. We accept it (Chamber decision),” Vijay told reporters.