Shiva Rajkumar narrowly escapes firecracker mishap during ‘Bail’ promotions

The actor appeared to be unharmed and continued with the promotional event

Last updated: October 07, 2026 | 12:32

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

1 MIN READ

Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar during a firecracker mishap at a promotional event for his film ‘Bail’ in Chitradurga, Karnataka.

Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar narrowly escaped a firecracker mishap while promoting his upcoming film Bail in Chitradurga, Karnataka.

Videos from the promotional event at Basweshwara Theatre show the actor entering the venue amid a large crowd when a firecracker suddenly went off close to him. Startled by the blast, Rajkumar covered his face and head as sparks flew nearby. Members of his team immediately moved to shield him.

The actor appeared to be unharmed and continued with the promotional event, greeting fans and theatre management.

Earlier, Rajkumar had waved to fans from the sunroof of his car as crowds gathered outside the theatre to welcome him. The incident, however, prompted concern among fans after videos of the mishap were widely shared online.

Several fans criticised the arrangements and expressed relief that the actor was not injured.

Rajkumar, popularly known as Shivanna, recently returned to work after undergoing treatment in the US following a bladder cancer diagnosis. He is currently promoting Bail and has several projects lined up across Kannada, Telugu and Tamil cinema.

His upcoming films include Jailer 2, Picasso, Gummadi Narsaiah, Dad, 666 Operation Dream Theatre and A for Anand. A documentary, Survivor – A Superstar Documentary, is also in development, focusing on his cancer journey.

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 27 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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