Manoj Bajpayee recently opened up about a harrowing incident on the sets of the 2007 war drama 1971, where co-star Manav Kaul inadvertently caused a near-fatal accident. The incident, which also involved actors Ravi KishanKumud Mishra, and Deepak Dobriyal, occurred while filming a scene in a jeep on hilly terrain.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Manoj Bajpayee recounted the terrifying experience, “We had 2-3 near-death experiences during the filming of 1971. One particularly terrifying moment occurred while we were all sitting in a jeep—Ravi Kishan, myself, Manav Kaul, Kumud Mishra, and Deepak Dobriyal. The scene required the jeep to come down from a hill and stop in front of the camera, with a valley to its right. At the time, Manav was a carefree, waggish boy who loved to tease me.”
Manoj recalled that he had warned Manav to be extra cautious while driving, given the treacherous terrain. However, Manav, known for his playful demeanor, decided to tease Manoj instead, underestimating the gravity of the situation.
“Instead of taking my advice seriously, he decided to mess with me, thinking I was just scared. In an attempt to scare me further, he started teasing me while driving. However, things quickly spiraled out of control when he lost control of the vehicle. He wasn’t a skilled driver, and the jeep veered toward the valley.”
The jeep ultimately came to a halt thanks to a large rock that stopped it on the edge of the valley. Manoj described the moment of realization, “For a moment, we all thought this was the end. At that time, we believed we were going to die… Manav’s face turned pale with fear. Somehow, a big rock stopped the jeep on the edge of the valley, and I asked everyone not to move. Then the team carefully got us out of the jeep one by one. It was deadly.”
When asked about his equation with Manav Kaul post-incident, Manoj shared with a laugh, “Every time I meet him now, I just swear at him!”