A hesitant Mohanlal enjoys safe chopper ride

Nov 11, 2006 IANS

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 11 (IANS) Malayalam film star Mohanlal was initially quite apprehensive, but finally managed to enjoy a helicopter ride Saturday - a day when Kerala newspapers carried photographs of an aircraft that had to land in a paddy field.

The ace actor arrived around 4 p.m. after his helicopter landed at the helipad of the agricultural ground at Vellayani on the outskirts of the city to take part in the first anniversary celebrations of Flash, a tabloid from the stables of Kerala Kaumudi Saturday evening.

"Of course he was a bit worried. Last evening and today morning he made sure that some of us go to the temple and do the offering of breaking a few coconuts. That was done by us," Suresh Krishna, a close aide of the actor, told IANS.

The newspapers and TV news channels here had reported the miraculous escape of the five naval personnel after their aircraft landed Friday in a paddy field near Kottayam following a snag.

Lt. Col. S.B. Nair, who flew Mohanlal's helicopter, said that the actor was fully composed and really enjoyed the flight which left Palakkad at 2.20 a.m.

"He told us that he was extremely comfortable and enjoyed the helicopter ride," said Nair.

In 1980, the Malayalam film industry had lost one of its superstars in a helicopter accident when action hero Jayan was acting a stunt scene for "Kolilakam" in an airfield in Tamil Nadu.