The tragic and traumatic whatever we call it, because it was that worst thing ever happened in the history of Indian entertainment world. Recalling the fire incident on the sets of Sword of Tipu Sultan, which remains etched in the minds of those who witnessed it. Recently, the actor-director Ananth Mahadevan recalled this terrifying events of that day when disaster struck on the set, which took the lives of 52 crew members and leaving actor Sanjay Khan with severe burns. This shocking incident occurred on February 8, 1989 at Premier Studios in Mysore while shooting for the iconic historical drama.
In a conversation with Siddharth Kanna, Ananth Mahadevan shared how he barely missed being part of the show. “The day I had to fly to Mysore, my driver didn’t show up. I ran to the airport and barely made it to Bangalore, only to find no one was there to pick me up,” he said. It felt like everything was going wrong and nature is giving ominous signs, as shared by him. After a long, difficult ride in a taxi that kept breaking down for three times, Ananth Mahadevan finally made it to the sets. Unfortunately, this was the same day when the terrible fire started.
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When he heard about the fire, Mahadevan rushed back to the set and was shocked by what he saw. “I saw dead bodies and fire engines everywhere. It was the most frightening night of my life,” he recalled.
The fire left Sanjay Khan with burns on over 65% of his body. He had to undergo 73 surgeries and spent many months in the hospital. But he made a remarkable recovery. Recalling the time when Ananth Mahadevan visited him in the hospital and was amazed by his strength. “He rose from the flames like a phoenix,” said Ananth Mahadevan, admiring Khan’s courage in returning to the set after such a painful experience.
Even though filming was delayed for six months, the show continued under Akbar Khan’s direction. Ananth Mahadevan returned to finish his role, although another actor replaced him during his absence.
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