Boat capsizes during Kantara-1 shooting, Rishab Shetty, 30 crew members escape unhurt

The accident occurred in a shallow zone of the reservoir, near an area locally known as Melina Koppa, which helped avert a possible tragedy.

A boat capsized in a reservoir during the shooting of Kannada film Kantara: Chapter 1, but actor-director Rishab Shetty and 30 crew members escaped unhurt, averting a major mishap, police sources said.

This incident allegedly occurred during the filming in the Mani reservoir in the Masti Katte region of Shivamogga district, they added. The accident occurred in a shallow zone of the reservoir, near an area locally known as Melina Koppa, which helped avert a possible tragedy.

However, cameras and other filming equipment are believed to have been lost to the water. The losses are yet to be assessed. According to the Thirthahalli police, who visited the spot, people onboard escaped unhurt. Police are investigating.Theatre artist Ramadas Poojary told PTI that making a movie on the spirits of Dakshina Kannada is always risky, as the spirits (Bhootas-Daivas) do not like the commercialisation of any activity connected to them.

However, Rishab Shetty, who reveres the spirits, has conducted elaborate poojas to them and was given permission to make the film, says Poojary. A senior crew member who spoke to PTI on the condition of anonymity said some of the crew members panicked when the boat overturned, but since it was in the shallow waters, all of them waded through to safety.

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"It shows that the spirits have blessed us in some way,” the crew member said. This incident marks yet another setback for Kantara: Chapter 1, which is grappling with a series of unfortunate events. In the past month alone, the production team has lost three artists to unrelated incidents, adding to the challenges faced by the film’s crew.