Veteran Actor Kalaranjini Recalls Losing Voice on Set Due to Makeup Mix-up

Veteran actor Kalaranjini lost her voice decades ago during a film shoot after a makeup artist mistakenly used acid instead of coconut oil to make fake blood. Kalaranjini was working with Prem Nazir at the time and had to consume the mixture for a scene where her character dies vomiting blood. Her mouth and throat burned and swelled up instantly, leading to three months in a hospital and extensive medical treatment that affected her career for decades. Despite the lasting impact on her life and career, Kalaranjini holds no grudge against the makeup artist, KV Bhaskar, who was one of Malayalam cinema's biggest makeup artists. She recalled that everyone on sets avoided him because they were upset, but she ultimately helped him in his final days and maintains a good relationship with his children. She noted that the incident was simply a mistake and a slip of the hand rather than an intentional act. Following the incident, co-workers would go silent on set to hear her lines, and famous voice actor Ambili dubbed her lines until passing away. Director Rosshan Andrrews later encouraged her to use her own voice, and director Krishnadas insisted she dub for Bharathanatyam to help bring her voice back. Kalaranjini recently starred in Bharathanatyam 2 Mohiniyattam and has upcoming roles in Visitor and Bharathanatyam 3 Rasaleela.

Context

Accidents on film sets during stunt or special effects sequences can occasionally result in severe, career-altering injuries for actors. Professional film production relies on strict safety protocols for handling props and chemical mixtures to prevent such dangerous mix-ups.