Fire on the Tipu Sultan Set: Ananth Mahadevan recalls Sanjay Khan’s misery

The tragedy that befell on the site of shooting for the serial 'The Sword of Tipu Sultan' in 1989 is, by far, one of the most grim incidents of Indian television. This was one of the most elaborate productions of this nature, starring Sanjay Khan as Tipu Sultan, the 18th-century ruler of Mysore. But a tragic fate awaited the show on February 8, 1989, when it caught fire at Premier Studios in Mysore. Premised on inadequate fire safety measures, the hellhole took 52 lives of the crew members. Sanjay Khan himself suffered severe third-degree burns as 65% of his body area had burn injuries. He underwent 73 surgeries and was in the hospital for 13 months, but he did make it back to finish the serial.

Actor Ananth Mahadevan, who played the character of Pandit Purnaiya in the serial, gave a shocking account of that fateful day. While talking to Siddharth Kannan, he described a series of ominous "omens" before the fire-stricken incident-how he was delayed for his taxi to take him to the studio, his taxi broke down while taking him there, etc. Upon reaching Premier Studios, he was drawn into the drama that was to unfold a little later. He recalled seeing a pile of burnt bodies outside the set and hearing news of the fire that sent shockwaves through everybody's system. By the next morning, the fate of the cast and crew was anybody's guess. "We had to call our families to let them know we were alive," Ananth quoted in an interview with Siddharth Kannan.

Production went on hold when the fire took place, but resumed after six months with Akbar Khan as a director, who was Sanjay's brother. “Another person’s photograph was placed for my character. I went to Akbar’s house and told him that his brother chose me to play that role. He gave me a vague answer but my photo was immediately put up replacing the other actor," he explained.

Wunderstruck by Sanjay Khan's recovery from the trauma, physical and mental, which Sanjay went through, says Ananth, "Khan came back on to the sets after months of rehabilitation to complete the series as Tipu Sultan. He described it as "one of the bravest acts" he had ever seen. The return of Sanjay Khan was like a phoenix rising from the ashes," he quoted.