By: Pramod Kumar
VETERAN Indian actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday (20) said he escaped death by a “whisker” when a crane came crashing down on the sets of his latest venture Indian 2, killing three technicians.
He said director Shankar could have also died had he not moved away from the spot just four seconds earlier.
“We escaped by a whisker. Four seconds before (the incident), the director (Shankar) and cameraman moved away and I was standing nearer along with the heroine (Kajal Aggarwal),” he said.
Talking to reporters after paying homage to the three victims, the Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) political party chief also announced Rs 10 million as immediate relief to the families of the victims and those injured.
He said if he had not moved, someone else would be addressing the media instead of him.
Haasan said the cinema industry may boast of Rs 2-3 billion ventures but it was a matter of insult that it could not protect its own.
There should be a mechanism to protect workers in the cinema industry, the veteran opined.
On Wednesday (19) night, three technicians involved in the Shankar-directed venture were killed and nine others injured when the crane came crashing down.
A case has been registered against the crane operator, who is absconding, under various sections of the IPC, including causing death by negligence, police sources said.
