Firecracker explodes near Shiva Rajkumar, Kannada star shields his face during Bail promotions

Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar narrowly escaped being burnt by a firecracker that could have cost him his life. Shiva Rajkumar is busy promoting his film Bail in Chitradurga, Karnataka, and the craze for celebs pan-India cannot be denied. Shiva’s fans couldn’t contain their excitement upon seeing their favourite star.

Amid celebrations galore and Shiva’s dramatic entry during the promotional spree, a clip of the actor walking into a theatre amid a firecracker welcome has gone viral.

The Bail team recently visited the Basweshwara Theatre in Chitradurga as part of their promotional tour. One video shows Shiva being greeted by the theatre management with a large garland and cheers. Fans also crowded around the star to catch a glimpse of him as he visited the theatre. He obliged them by climbing out of his car’s sunroof and waving at them.

Another video shows the actor walking into the theatre amid a massive crowd. People scream as a firecracker suddenly goes off, and the actor covers his face and head to protect himself. His team also tries to shield him from the sparks that went off right next to him. Shiva can be seen brushing his face and head as everyone around him worriedly asks if he’s alright.

Upon seeing the viral clip, fans were worried for ‘Shivanna’ and took to social media to express their concern.

A user wrote, “Worst arrangements! Risking lives almost.”

Another read, “Shivarajkumar narrowly escaped a cracker accident. Luckily he is safe now!” A fan even wrote, “Firecracker blast near Shivanna, swalpa husharu kanro (please be careful).”

Many also commented that, at 64, Shiva was out promoting films, with an X (formerly Twitter) user writing that they had ‘mad, mad respect’ for him. “Age is just a stat on paper for Century Star Shiva Rajkumar. The way he travels, meets fans, and promotes every film like his very first is a massive wake-up call to the industry. Respect, #Shivanna!” wrote another.

All you need to know about Shiva

Shiva took a short break from acting when he went to the US for treatment after being diagnosed with bladder cancer. He has since gotten back to work, starring in Bail in Kannada and Peddi in Telugu this year. He also played a cameo in Raktha Kashmira.

He has a busy slate of films lined up that includes Jailer 2 and Picasso in Tamil, and Gummadi Narsaiah in Telugu. In Kannada, he has Dad, 666 Operation Dream Theatre, and A for Anand. Shiva also has a documentary titled Survivor – A Superstar Documentary in the works, which will focus on his cancer diagnosis.