Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; September 17, 2015)

The cast and crew of Shivam Nair’s Bhaag Johnny were recently in Thailand to film some action sequences. While the shoot went well, the team returned to India with memories that had a tinge of sadness. For, they witnessed a major road mishap and despite their best efforts, were unsuccessful in rescuing all the victims.

Sources say the director, along with his director of photography (DoP) and action master, was headed to a location one fine morning when he noticed a van upside down on the way. “The trio rushed to help the accident victims — the van driver, three women and two children — who were trapped under the car, but they were not completely successful in saving them,” adds a source.

Nair recalls prying open the van’s door with the help of his DoP, but says the car went up in flames within seconds. “We broke the glass open with a stone and pulled out the driver and two Thai women, but before we could save the two kids and another woman, the van caught fire and blew up. It was a tragic sight and in spite of so many people standing around, no one came forward to help. After witnessing such a dreadful scene, none of us was in the frame of mind to shoot that day,” he adds.

The entire cast, including Kunal Kemmu and Zoa Morani, was in Thailand for a month long schedule.