Kollur: Following the tragic death of a Malayali youth who was part of the Kantara 2 film crew, production house Hombale Films has issued a statement claiming that the incident did not occur during the shoot of the film. M F Kapil (33), a native of Vaikom in Kerala,  drowned in the Souparnika River in Kollur.

In a statement, the producers claimed that there was no shooting scheduled on the day of the incident and that Kapil’s death occurred during his personal time, not while engaged in any film-related activity.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of junior artist M F Kapil. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and loved ones at this very difficult time. In light of the ongoing discussions, we wish to respectfully clarify that the incident did not take place on the set of Kantara,” read a note shared by the production house on social media.

“There was no filming scheduled on that day. The unfortunate incident happened during his personal time and had no connection to the film or its crew. We request everyone to refrain from linking the tragedy to the film or its production team,” Hombale Films added.

Meanwhile, the All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) has demanded legal action against lead actor and director Rishab Shetty and the producers. The organisation alleged, “when workers die on film sets, the true causes are often concealed, and those who try to reveal the truth face intimidation. This must end.”

The incident took place around 3.45 pm on Tuesday. According to Kollur Police, Kapil slipped and fell into the Souparnika River. He was a resident of Palliprathusseri in Vaikom.