BENGALURU: It was a tragic Saturday for eight-year-old Zainab, who had to attend the funeral of her mother and sister after they died in Friday’s mishap where a helium cylinder, being used as part of a film shoot, exploded and hit the family, fatally injuring Sumera Banu and Ayera Khan. On Saturday, the family received the bodies after the completion of the postmortem formalities at Ambedkar Hospital. Zainab, who was with her father, was unable to recognise her mother and sister, due to the extent of the injuries they suffered.
Speaking to TNIE, Zainab’s father Tabrej Khan, a driver by profession said, “Doctors who treated my daughter Zainab in a private hospital, told me that she needs a minimum of three months to recover from the trauma of the incident. She has injuries on her chest and mouth from the blast.”
Recalling the accident, he said that the cylinder shot up into the air like a rocket before descending at high velocity and hitting the family. “I was about to reach the spot where they were standing as I had gone to park my car nearby. It all happened within a few seconds and I was shocked to see my wife and daughter lying in a pool of blood. I collapsed instantly. No one came to help them even while I was screaming continuously,” Tabrej said.
Talking about how the family happened to be at the spot, Tabrej said that the kids had insisted that they spend the weekend at their aunt’s house. “Ayera and Zainab came home after school and forced my wife to take them to their aunt’s house in Soolibele. Their aunt Nasareen was waiting to have lunch with them. Ayera was very bright in school and Zainab is a very jovial girl. Now she is not responding to anyone and I am very worried about her,” said her father.
Cops book film crew
Bengaluru police on Friday filed an FIR against the crew of the film Ranam under the Explosive Substances Act of 1908, following the deaths of two people during shooting. However, no arrests have been made so far as the accused are absconding.
Based on a complaint by Tabrej Khan, the police have launched a man hunt. The accused have been identified as producer Srinivas R, director Samudram V, production manager Kiran, stunt director Vijayan and the members of the technical team who caused the death of Sumera Banu (29) and Ayera Khan (5), who were killed on the spot when a stunt scene was being shot on Friday evening. Neither did the team take permission for the shooting nor inform the police about the shooting schedule.