Rishab Shettys' Kantara: Chapter 1 Shoot Interrupted after Bus Crash Leaves Artists Injured

The shoot of Kantara: Chapter 1 was halted after a mini-bus carrying junior artists overturned, injuring six seriously.

Hyderabad: The ongoing shoot of Kantara: Chapter 1, a prequel to the 2022 blockbuster Kantara, was abruptly halted following a bus accident that left six junior artists seriously injured. The incident occurred late Sunday night near Jadkal, in Udupi district, Karnataka, when a mini-bus carrying 20 junior artists from the Rishab Shetty starrer overturned while returning from a shoot at Mudoor.

According to local police, the driver of the mini-bus lost control of the vehicle after trying to avoid a collision with a motorcycle. The bus, carrying the artists back to their accommodation in Kollur, diverged off the road and flipped over. Emergency services rushed to the scene, providing first aid to the injured before transferring them to nearby hospitals in Kundapur and Jadkal. Six of the artists sustained serious injuries, with some reportedly requiring immediate hospitalisation.

While the other passengers were relatively unharmed, the incident led to tensions at the scene, as some of the artists allegedly accused the bus driver of negligence, claiming that he was using his mobile phone while driving. This angered the crew members, who reportedly confronted and physically assaulted the driver. Members of the Tourist Driver Association soon arrived at the location to voice their dissatisfaction, creating a brief standoff before police intervened.

The injured artists are receiving medical attention at the Jadkaal Mahalakshmi Clinic and Kundapur Hospital, and the production team has paused filming temporarily to assess the situation. The Kollur police have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident. Kantara: Chapter 1, directed by Rishab Shetty, stars Shetty alongside Jayaram and Jisshu Sengupta. The film, which is the prequel to Kantara, a sleeper hit praised for its depiction of local folk traditions and man-versus-nature themes, is slated for release on October 2, 2025.

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