Shooting for Miruga got its heroine Raai Laxmi suffering much pain. “I did more stunt scenes in this film than I have ever done in my career,” she says.
“I suffered injuries that got me tearing up in pain.”
For one scene, the unit was shooting in Munnar during heavy rains.
“The rain was pouring and as we were shooting at night, there was little visibility. The stuntman had to grab my hair, but as there was slush around us, he slipped and ended up catching me by my neck. My neck got twisted due to the force, and I screamed in agony,” she recalls.
“Everyone rushed to my help, and my neck began swelling rapidly.” She was then taken to the hospital for an X-ray, and thankfully, it detected no fracture. The whole incident necessitated several days of rest for her.
For another scene, the team had constructed a set resembling a tunnel. Raai Laxmi was asked to crawl through the tunnel. A climbing harness was tied, and she was lifted slowly.
“You see, the tunnel set was made of metal and wood. While being hauled up, they underestimated how much I’d sway inside the tunnel, and I ended up hitting my head against the metal.”
Blood trickled from her head, and despite medical attention, her head remained swollen for days on end, apparently.
This wasn’t all. She goes on to indicate another painful experience she underwent.
“I had to place something inside the boot of an Innova for a scene, and just as I was doing it, the driver shut the boot, which caught my head. I cried in pain, and the driver apologetically explained that he had assumed I was finished with the scene,” she says.
“By the time we completed all the stunts in Miruga, our bodies had almost given up. I know actors keep saying they have given their blood, sweat and tears for a film, but for this one, I really have done that.”