Director Venkat Prabhu recently flew to the Fiji Islands with his unit to shoot for his upcoming Party. The team mostly held night shoots in the various small towns on the islands.During one such night, the unit was camped along a busy road. After obtaining necessary permissions, the road was decorated with flashy lights and made to look like it was New Year’s Eve. The shot involved a car chase sequence as well. “We had an extensive multi-camera set up on various locations along the road. We also had several go-pro camera stationed at various vantage points, and a drone camera for crucial top angle shots of the chase,” the filmmaker explains.
Cameraman Rajesh Yadav had stationed his assistants at various points along the stretch. “All the vehicles involved in the chase were at their positions. Strangely, we found one old car, completely covered in dust, parked near the platform. No one knew who it belonged to and we couldn’t move it as the tyres were flat. So Rajesh decided to park his main camera on the platform, a little away from this car and include it in the shot.” A mini truck was supposed to come rushing towards the old car and stop just inches away, without hitting it.
Venkat Prabhu yelled action, and the truck came at great speed towards the parked car. But instead of stopping, the stuntman accidentally hit the rusted vehicle at the last minute. So great was the impact that the stray car got thrown over the pavement and came hurtling towards Rajesh and his camera! “We were watching dumbstruck on the monitor at a distance. It all happened so fast. In a split second, Rajesh jumped to one side as he saw the car coming in his direction. His assistants grabbed the expensive camera equipment in the nick of time and jumped out of harm’s way, even as the car crashed near them.”
But one person was not so fortunate. “We had a young chap, operating the drone camera. He was standing right next to Rajesh, intently looking down at his iPad, watching the entire action on his screen. He only had an aerial view, and so could not see the car coming towards him!
The car’s impact meant that he flew and landed a few feet away.” The youngster blacked out and was rushed to the hospital. “Shooting was immediately halted. Thankfully for the young man, he escaped with minor injuries.”Venkat thanks his stars that nothing more serious happened. “The whole incident left us numb with shock. I still don’t get how the car without wheels, travelled so far on its own,” says Venkat. The entire accident was apparently captured by the drone camera and Venkat is planning to use the footage during the end credits of the film.