In a letter to Lyca Productions Chairman and Founder A. Subhaskaran, actor Kamal Haasan questioned the steps taken by the production team to ensure the safety of the artists, crew and other technicians involved in the shoot and the insurance that the production team has taken.
The letter, dated February 22, was sent following an accident on the sets of Indian 2 where a crane used during the shoot came crashing down, killing three technicians and inuring a few others.
“Any loss, cost damage, risk undergone on account of the production team failing to carry out what they ought to have carried out has to be compensated in full and at the earliest,” Mr Haasan said, in the letter.
He further stated that as producers, Lyca should ensure the best of medical help to each of those who have been admitted and provide the affected families with both financial and emotional support.
Mr Haasan said that he was just a few seconds and a few meters away from the spot where the mishap occurred and miraculously escaped joining the list of fatalities.
Stating that he could hardly express his trauma and agony in words, the actor said that the ability to compensate should never be equated to their sense of responsibility.
“With so many human lives involved in a shoot, the paramount importance for the production is to ensure safety of the people involved. Accidents of this kind only destroy the confidence and belief of the entire team, in the production team,” he said.
Mr Haasan further called for a safety audit to be conducted and diligence to be followed which will then give the cast and crew confidence to return to the shoot.
“You should implement all guidelines on safety and institute an audit process to assess safety standards at shoot locations before the commencement of any shoot. Only by such positive and proactive steps- the production team can demonstrate its diligence in adhering to safety requirements and thereby restore the confidence of the cast and crew(including me) to report back for shoot,” the letter read.
Following the accident, Mr Haasan had announced a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of the deceased and the technicians who had been injured. Lyca Productions too had announced a compensation of Rs 2 crore and said that they would bear the medical expenses.