Malayalam cinema’s first action hero, superstar Jayan died in a helicopter stunt gone awry during the shooting of “Kolilakkam” on 16 November 1980. He was just 41. Mathrubhumi quotes Kalliyoor Shashi, a production executive, as saying that the fatal scene wherein Jayan was shown trying to pursue and capture the villain played by Balan K Nair, who was trying to escape in a helicopter had already been shot three times.

It was Jayan who reportedly insisted on one more take, which ironically proved to be his last. Unlike the previous three shots, Jayan tried to entwine his leg on the helicopter skid from a moving motorbike, to enable him to climb up and get hold of the villain. Though Balan did try to dissuade Jayan from attempting such a risky move, the latter went ahead with the maneuver.

This however tilted all the weight to one side, making the helicopter lose its balance and crash onto the Sholavaram airstrip at Thiruvallur in Tamil Nadu. While the pilot and Balan fell out from the sides, Jayan unfortunately was not that lucky.

He was grievously injured in the fall, and though he was soon rushed to hospital and subjected to emergency surgery, his life could not be saved.

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