The Fire Incident on the Set of 'Kesari': Insights from SFX Supervisor

A Look Back at the 'Kesari' Set Fire Incident

In 2019, the film 'Kesari' depicted the historic Battle of Saragarhi from 1897, featuring numerous intense war scenes. During the filming of the climactic battle sequence in April 2018, a significant fire broke out on set. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported, but the damage was estimated at around 80 million rupees.

Recently, SFX supervisor Vishal Tyagi recounted this fire incident in an interview. He mentioned that the crew had to watch the set burn for two hours due to a lack of safety measures.

In a conversation with a media outlet, he stated, "We were shooting 'Kesari' in Hawaii and had planned a large explosion. Initially, we intended to construct a separate wall, but due to budget constraints, we decided to use the existing wall for the explosion. After that incident, I learned to say 'no' as I never used to refuse before."

He further explained, "There were no safety protocols in place. I suggested bringing motors and pipes from Mumbai, but they said there was no budget for that. While preparing for the evening shoot, a foreign action director suggested incorporating fire elements into the scene."

Although no one was harmed, Tyagi shared that the incident taught him valuable lessons. He remarked, "I hadn't realized that the wall was made of PV foam, which is highly flammable. I didn't use petrol; instead, I employed gas poppers, but a single spark ignited the fire. There were no safety measures, and the fire marshal only had one powder extinguisher that couldn't reach the height needed. The entire team watched the set burn for two hours. Thankfully, no one was injured as the fire spread slowly and the set was outdoors."

However, when Dharma Productions held Tyagi accountable for the fire, he received support from director Anurag Singh. He stated, "After that day, I learned to say 'no' if safety isn't ensured; I won't execute a blast. I wasn't the sole person responsible for that incident, yet I was blamed. The team from Dharma Productions questioned me, 'What did you do?' But the director backed me up, stating it wasn't solely my fault. Eventually, the matter settled down, and no further questions were raised."

Akshay Kumar starred in 'Kesari' alongside Parineeti Chopra, who played a significant role. The film was directed by Anurag Singh and produced by Karan Johar, Aruna Bhatia, Hiroo Yash Johar, Apoorva Mehta, and Sunir Khetrapal.

The spiritual sequel, 'Kesari Chapter 2', is set to release in theaters on April 18, 2025. This historical courtroom drama is directed by debutant Karan Singh Tyagi.