Actor Kamal Haasan announced ₹1 crore for the families of the technicians who died, as well as for those injured in the mishap on the sets of Indian 2 on Wednesday night.
Three people were killed and nine injured when a crane used to erect sets snapped at the ongoing shooting of the movie, directed by ace director Shankar, at a private studio at the suburban Nazrathpet on Wednesday.
The three killed were assistant director Krishna, art assistant Chandran and Madhu, a production assistant, Lyca said in a statement.
Speaking to media persons at the KMC hospital on Thursday evening, Mr. Haasan said that he was not there as a representative of the film production, but that he considered the incident as something that has happened to his family.
"I have been in this profession from the time I was a child. This is yet another incident which proves that this industry does not have the level of safety which is expected of it," Mr. Haasan said.
Adding that the compensation he offered should be viewed only as a "first-aid" for the issue, Mr. Haasan said the industry should come together and take steps to ensure the protection and insurance for technicians.
Police officials speaking to brother of Krishna, an assistant director who was one among the 3 killed during 'Indian 2' film shoot at near Poonamallee, on Thursday in Chennai.
"We boast about big budget films, but it is shameful that we are not able to protect our technicians," he said. He stressed on the responsibility of any profession, including the cinema industry, to ensure that its technicians are protected.
When asked whether safety measures should be implemented better in the film industry, Mr. Haasan said that nowhere in the country was there proper safety compliance in any field. "There are accidents waiting to happen and we should take steps to ensure that they are prevented," he said.
Mr. Haasan said that it had been a narrow escape for him as well as he was under the same canopy with the actress of the film, sometime before the crane collapsed on it. "The director and the camera-man had a narrow escape as they moved from there just a few seconds before the accident," he added.
Director Shankar and Lyca Productions founder Subaskaran Allirajah also met with the families of the deceased at KMC.
Tamil Kumaran, CEO of Lyca Productions, said that they were giving ₹2 crore to the families of the deceased and those who were injured in the mishap. "We will take care of all the medical expenses of those injured as well," he added.
