I’m glad we’re alive: Kavya Thapar recalls the accident on ‘Pichaikkaran 2’ sets

Actor Kavya Thapar. (kaythaps20/Facebook)

Just when the crew was wrapping up the shoot, Kavya and Vijay met with a near-fatal accident in Malaysia. She alerted her crew and helped her unconscious colleague from drowning.

However, Vijay was hit badly and Kavya was seriously bruised but she escaped with a big scar on her forehead.

She is currently recovering. As she has been advised to rest, the actor will stay away from the camera for a while.

In an exclusive interview with South First, Kavya Thapar narrates the harrowing incident.

How it all happened

“I am the only female lead in Pichaikkaran. The film is set against a corporate background and I play the love interest of the protagonist. It isn’t a huge role, but it’s a crucial one,” the actor explained.

The team was shooting at Langkawi Island. One of the boats was carrying 10-15 people and cameras; Vijay Antony and Kavya Thapar were on a jet ski; Most of the crew was on the beach.

It was the last shot; Vijay was riding his boat perfectly. Both the actors were heading towards the camera diagonally but the jet ski didn’t turn enough and collided with a corner of the boat.

“Soon after the collision, we both fell into the water. The saltwater made my vision blurry. However, I saw Vijay drowning; he can’t swim. I held onto him and kept him afloat. He was unconscious and bleeding,” Kavya recalled.

Dear friends, I am safely recovered from a severe jaw and nose injury during Pichaikkaran 2 shoot in Malaysia.
I just completed a major surgery.
I will talk to you all as soon as possible😊✋
Thank you for all your support and concern for my health🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/YJm24omxrS

— vijayantony (@vijayantony) January 24, 2023

The actor suffered multiple injuries on his feet, eyes and jaw. Kavya suffered injuries on her forehead.

Even as she shouted for help, two of the crew members pulled him into a boat. “We provided him with first aid and rushed him to Chennai where he was kept in the ICU.”

Actor Kavya Thapar. (kaythaps20/Facebook)

After recovering, Vijay called her up to say that he is doing good and asked her to resume the shoot in the next 20 days.

“However, I kept all my shootings on hold for some time because of the scar. The makers are kind enough to understand my situation. It could have been worse had our jet ski collided with the boat in the middle. But I’m glad that we came out alive,” the actor said.

On Farzi

On the work front, the 27-year-old actor is quite excited about her recently-released web series Farzi. She played the love interest (Ananya) of antihero Sandeep aka Sunny (Shahid Kapoor) in this TV series that deals with counterfeit currency notes.

Season 1 (with eight episodes) starring Vijay Sethupathi, Rashi Khanna, Amol Palekar, and Regina Cassandra is already garnering rave reviews for the solid content and stunning performances.

Kavya Thapar with Shahid Kapoor, and Raj & DK on the sets of ‘Farzi’ web series. (Supplied)

“Farzi happened during the Covid-19 lockdown. I was auditioning for films from my home then,” she recollected.

Raj & DK sent her a few lines for an audition. But Kavya Thapar wasn’t convinced that she could do justice to the role because it was too small.

“However, the duo believed in me and felt that I would pull off Ananya’s role easily. I had no idea about the cast or the lead actor. I only knew that it was being produced and directed by Raj & DK. I was always wanted to work with them,” she added.

Now that Season 1 is a hit, the actor hopes that the makers would develop her role in the next season. Well, here’s wishing her the best!