Indian Actors Who Saved Their Co-Stars From Real-Life Accidents

Written By: Entertainment Desk

Nov 14, 2026 14:48 IST ⓘ

From Salman Khan to SRK and Kajol, revisit Indian stars’ real-life rescues.

A romantic song beside the sea, a dance rehearsal on railway tracks or an action sequence against a mountain backdrop can look effortless on screen. Behind the camera, however, those settings come with very real risks. And sometimes, the person who notices something going wrong is a fellow actor standing just a few feet away. Over the years, Indian stars have recalled frightening moments when a colleague’s quick response helped pull them out of danger. Some incidents became famous chapters in Bollywood history; others emerged much later, when the actors finally spoke about what happened between takes.

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Mita Vashisht’s recent recollection of Shah Rukh Khan pulling her back from a ridge during ‘Dil Se’ is one such account. From Hindi cinema’s biggest names to their Tamil counterparts, here are the stories behind these real-life interventions.

1. Salman Khan Pulled Ayesha Jhulka Away From An Approaching Train

Ayesha Jhulka was concentrating on a song shoot for ‘Kurbaan’ when Salman Khan suddenly pulled her off the railway track. Recalling the incident to Bollywood Bubble, she said the team was filming near Igatpuri and had been assured that trains would not pass during their allotted time. Loud playback music accompanied repeated rehearsals. Salman heard the approaching train and reacted before she understood the danger.

The movement was so sudden that Ayesha initially struggled to comprehend what had happened; others explained that Salman had saved her. She also remembered him angrily questioning the unit afterwards. Directed by Deepak Bahry, ‘Kurbaan’ released on May 31, 1991, with Salman and Ayesha leading a cast that included Sunil Dutt and Kabir Bedi.

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2. Shah Rukh Khan Caught Mita Vashisht At The Edge Of A Ridge

In a November 3, 2026 interview with SCREEN, Mita Vashisht described a terrifying moment during the Dalhousie schedule of ‘Dil Se’. She was carrying an AK-47 for a scene involving a blindfolded Shah Rukh Khan. While preparing the shot in freezing conditions, she followed instructions to step backwards. Her plastic-soled footwear offered little feel for the ground, and she reached the edge of a steep ridge.

As Mita began tipping backwards, SRK grabbed the front of her jacket and pulled her upright. She credited his reflexes with preventing a potentially devastating fall, particularly given the gun’s weight. Mani Ratnam’s ‘Dil Se’, released on August 21, 1998, stars SRK, Manisha Koirala and Preity Zinta, with Mita in a supporting role. Her account makes the headline-worthy rescue strikingly specific: a jacket caught at precisely the right moment.

3. Sunil Dutt Rescued Nargis From The ‘Mother India’ Fire

Few off-screen incidents have become as closely woven into film history as Sunil Dutt’s rescue of Nargis. During the filming of a burning-haystack sequence for ‘Mother India’ at Umra in Gujarat on March 1, 1957, Nargis became trapped in the flames. Sunil Dutt went in to help her out. Nargis’ diary account, reproduced in Kishwar Desai’s book about the couple, describes being surrounded by fire before a hand caught her garment and they emerged safely.

Directed by Mehboob Khan, ‘Mother India’ released on October 25, 1957, starring Nargis, Sunil Dutt, Rajendra Kumar and Raaj Kumar. Nargis played Radha, while Sunil Dutt portrayed her son Birju. Away from the screen, their relationship developed into a romance, and they married on March 11, 1958.

4. Karisma Kapoor Saved The Co-Star Who Was Supposed To Rescue Her

The scene in ‘Prem Qaidi’ required Harish Kumar to jump into a swimming pool and rescue Karisma Kapoor. Reality reversed their roles. Speaking to Instant Bollywood, Harish recalled that he could not swim and began drowning after entering the water. People initially thought he was playing a prank, but Karisma recognised that he was genuinely struggling.

Harish said she saved him as he clung to her clothes. That detail gives the familiar screen image of a hero rescuing his heroine an entirely different meaning. Directed by K. Murali Mohana Rao, ‘Prem Qaidi’ released on June 21, 1991, marking Karisma’s film debut. Harish and Karisma lead the romantic drama, with Paresh Rawal, Dalip Tahil and Asrani among the supporting cast.

5. Akshay Kumar Brought Lara Dutta Back To Shore

Lara Dutta’s ‘Andaaz’ shoot in Cape Town took a frightening turn when waves swept her and Akshay Kumar into the sea during a song sequence on a rocky shore. Lara could not swim. In a Rediff interview published in March 2003, she credited Akshay with saving her life. Revisiting the experience in 2026, she explained that her leather clothing weighed her down underwater and Akshay brought her back to the beach.

Lara said the aftermath included hypothermic shock and hospital treatment, and the experience left her frightened of swimming. Years later, Akshay encouraged her to learn for ‘Blue’. Directed by Raj Kanwar, ‘Andaaz’ released on May 23, 2003, starring Akshay, Lara and Priyanka Chopra. For Lara, the memories of her Hindi-film debut include both a major career milestone and a deeply unsettling encounter with the ocean.

6. Dev Anand Helped Suraiya Out Of The Water During ‘Vidya’

The boat incident associated with Dev Anand and Suraiya’s romance has often been retold as Bollywood folklore. There is, however, an important firsthand confirmation. Asked about it during his ‘Walk the Talk’ interview with Shekhar Gupta, Dev said Suraiya had been about to drown and he helped bring her out of the water.

Accounts place the incident during the filming of the song ‘Kinare Kinare Chale Jayen Ge’ for ‘Vidya’, when their boat capsized. Directed by Girish Trivedi and released in 1948, the film paired Dev Anand and Suraiya, with Madan Puri also in the cast. The rescue became closely associated with their growing affection, although their relationship eventually ended amid family opposition. The romance did not lead to marriage, but this frightening day on a film shoot remained part of the story of their time together.

7. Kajol Stopped Shah Rukh Khan From Taking A Tumble Near A Waterfall

For ‘Gerua’, Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol travelled through Iceland’s spectacular landscapes, including a location behind a waterfall. The romance on screen concealed an awkward, slippery shoot. In the song’s making-of video, SRK explained that they were drenched when Kajol caught him as he was about to take a tumble. He credited her with saving his life.

Their familiar banter in the video made the recollection lighter, but the intervention itself was straightforward: Kajol held on before he fell. Farah Khan choreographed the song for Rohit Shetty’s ‘Dilwale’, released on December 18, 2015, with SRK, Kajol, Varun Dhawan and Kriti Sanon leading the cast. The breathtaking waterfall images carry an extra layer of meaning once you know how carefully the actors had to navigate the location.

8. Ravi Mohan Caught Nivetha Pethuraj During A Rappelling Shot

Nivetha Pethuraj was already frightened of heights when ‘Tik Tik Tik’ required her to rappel down a hillside in Munnar. Speaking to Cinema Express, she described working at a height comparable to a ten-storey building, with a rope around her waist. Her Crocs began slipping against the rocks, and Ravi Mohan, then known professionally as Jayam Ravi, was positioned below her.

As she lost control, Nivetha called out for him to catch her. He did, leaving her shaken but safe. She later chose to attempt the retake herself, encouraged by the team’s support. Directed by Shakti Soundar Rajan, the Tamil space thriller released on June 22, 2018, starring Ravi, Nivetha and Aaron Aziz, alongside Ramesh Thilak and Arjunan. For Nivetha, the production’s ambitious action scenes came with a very personal memory of her co-star being close enough to help when she needed him.

9. Karunakaran Stopped Amy Jackson’s Bike From Reaching A Cliff Edge

During an early schedule of the film that became ‘Gethu’, Amy Jackson lost control of her two-wheeler and began drifting towards a cliff edge. Karunakaran told IANS that he and Udhayanidhi Stalin were on another bike. Seeing what was happening, he quickly got off and stopped Amy’s vehicle.

The incident was reported in March 2015, with contemporary coverage placing the first schedule in Kerala. Amy also publicly thanked Karunakaran for preventing her from riding off the cliff, corroborating his account. Directed by Thirukumaran, ‘Gethu’ released on January 14, 2016, starring Udhayanidhi and Amy, with Sathyaraj, Vikranth and Karunakaran in the cast. The danger came from a vehicle moving out of control during filming; Karunakaran’s intervention stopped the situation from escalating further.

10. Shahid Kapoor Helped Rakhi Sawant And Anushka Sharma Avoid On-Set Accidents

Shahid Kapoor’s watchfulness helped Rakhi Sawant during ‘Dil Bole Hadippa!’ when she was standing near an unstable lighting stand after a dance-sequence shoot. Rakhi recalled that he asked her to move aside and secured the equipment before it could fall on her. Directed by Anurag Singh, the film released on September 18, 2009, starring Shahid and Rani Mukerji, with Anupam Kher, Dalip Tahil, Rakhi and Sherlyn Chopra in supporting roles.

A separate incident during ‘Badmaash Company’ was confirmed by Anushka Sharma and choreographer Ahmed Khan. While filming a music video at MT Studio in Andheri, Mumbai, in March 2010, a chandelier came crashing down near Anushka. Ahmed specifically recalled Shahid pulling her towards himself to get her out of its path. Anushka confirmed his quick reaction and said nobody was injured, while Shahid played down the incident. Directed by Parmeet Sethi, ‘Badmaash Company’ released on May 7, 2010, starring Shahid, Anushka, Vir Das and Meiyang Chang.

11. Prabhas Held On To Chatrapathi Sekhar During A Dangerous Boat Sequence

A boat sequence in ‘Chatrapathi’ became frighteningly real for supporting actor Chatrapathi Sekhar. Recalling the shoot, he said he was hanging upside down over the water while Prabhas held his legs. The action required another actor, Ajay, to catch his collar as he came up, but the manoeuvre went wrong and Sekhar slipped back underwater. Prabhas maintained his grip rather than letting him fall away.

Sekhar credited Prabhas and the team with saving him, also recalling the danger posed by a nearby boat carrying the camera crew. His account places the shoot far out at sea, adding to the difficulty of the situation. Directed by SS Rajamouli, ‘Chatrapathi’ released on September 30, 2005, starring Prabhas and Shriya Saran, with Bhanupriya, Shafi and Pradeep Rawat among the principal cast. Long before the ‘Baahubali’ films, Prabhas’ first collaboration with Rajamouli had left this co-star with a very personal reason to remember him.

12. Varun Dhawan Helped Sahil Anand Reach Safety During ‘Student Of The Year’

The swimming sequences in ‘Student Of The Year’ were particularly challenging for Sahil Anand, who had a fear of water. He recalled filming in an Olympic-sized pool when water entered his mouth and he began panicking. Varun Dhawan was behind him, recognised that he needed help and quickly guided him to the side of the pool.

Contemporary reporting also described Varun helping the struggling actor reach the edge, where he could hold on and be pulled out. Sahil’s own account makes this more than an anonymous on-set anecdote: he directly credited his fellow newcomer with coming to his rescue. Directed by Karan Johar, ‘Student Of The Year’ released on October 19, 2012, launching Varun, Sidharth Malhotra and Alia Bhatt, with Sahil and Rishi Kapoor among the supporting cast.

Filmmaker Bonus: Aditya Chopra Rescued Sonam Khan During ‘Vijay’

This final story involves a future filmmaker rather than an acting co-star. Sonam Khan recalled filming a swimming-pool scene with Rishi Kapoor at Bengaluru’s Windsor Manor hotel for ‘Vijay’. She could not swim, and the pair moved into deeper water. Panicking, she began grabbing Rishi, while others apparently thought the action was still part of the shot.

Aditya Chopra recognised her distress and jumped in fully clothed, shoes included, to rescue her. Sonam has recounted the experience in interviews with Siddharth Kannan and News18. Directed by Yash Chopra, ‘Vijay’ features Rajesh Khanna, Anil Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Hema Malini, Meenakshi Seshadri and Sonam. Yash Raj Films lists its release as August 11, 1988. Years before Aditya directed ‘Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge’, his alertness on his father’s set had already made an unforgettable difference to someone in front of the camera.