Vagamon: An artificial bomb explosion staged during the filming of a movie early on Friday morning sparked panic in Kerala’s Vagamon. The blast occurred between 5.30 and 6.00 am near the factory region, where a large-scale replica of a building on the film set was detonated with a loud bang.

The unexpected noise led many residents to believe that an earthquake or some disaster had struck, prompting them to flee their homes, with some even forgetting to put on their footwear.

It was only later that they realised the explosion was an artificial explosion for a film starring Suresh Gopi in the lead role. When concerned locals voiced their protests, the film crew responded by urging them to "take it as a joke." To this, the villagers retorted, “An earthquake is no joke, mate!”

Meanwhile, police confirmed that the explosion scene was filmed without the necessary permissions. The crew left the site shortly after filming the sequence. Filming of the movie has been underway in Vagamon and surrounding areas for several days.