Upala KBR (MID-DAY; January 25, 2018)

Sajid Nadiadwala and Ahmed Khan are pulling out all stops to ensure that Tiger Shroff’s much-anticipated Baaghi (2016) sequel provides action flick aficionados sufficient fodder. It is learnt that a high-octane climax scene is currently being shot. However, in a bid to entertain fans, the makers may be to blame for causing environmental damage at Thailand’s Krabi island. A lush green vegetation has been set on fire as part of a scene, which involves a series of blasts, with Shroff sprinting through the flames.

A source from the unit insists that the “lesser-known island” is relatively uninhabited. “Permission to conduct this sequence was procured several months in advance. Given that the team will be unable to conduct several retakes since the vegetation needs to be set on fire, rehearsals had been underway for months. This is one of the lesser-known islands of Krabi.”

The scene is set in one such location with a rocky outcrop, white sand beaches, coral reefs and cave systems, the source says. Shroff will be seen sprinting through a mountainous region while a series of bombs are flung from a chopper. “The production planted trees across a vast stretch of land, to be set ablaze. These shrubs had been grown three months ago for the purpose of conducting this scene. The jungle has been cut down to create a path where action stunts, choreographed by Kaecha Kampakdee, will be shot. It is a 15-day schedule involving 500 members. Fighters from Russia, Thailand and China have been roped in.”