Media365
4 min readKochiOct 5, 2026 07:53 PM IST
Although Kalaranjini never had a career as illustrious as those of her younger sisters, Kalpana and Urvashi, she has repeatedly demonstrated impressive acting skills, shining brightest in comedic roles, with the most recent examples being director Krishnadas Murali’s Bharathanatyam (2024) and its sequel Mohiniyattam (2026).
Apart from Malayalam, she has also acted in Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada languages, as well as in television serials, leaving a lasting impression wherever she set foot. However, while she was slowly soaring high, an unexpected incident turned Kalaranjini’s life upside down, affecting both her career and emotional well-being.
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Decades ago, Kalaranjini shockingly lost much of her voice on a movie set after purportedly consuming fake blood that had been mistakenly prepared using acid instead of coconut oil. Despite the incident significantly affecting her film career, she recently said she has no complaints against anyone, as she believes it was an honest mistake on the part of the makeup artist.
The shocking on-set accident that changed everything
“At that time, he was terribly upset. Everyone avoided him on all sets. Then, in his final days, I was the one who helped him. Their children also still have a very good relationship with us. It was a small mistake. He must have been very sad that it happened that way. He wouldn’t do such a thing to his profession on purpose. KV Bhaskar (who prepared the fake blood) was one of the biggest makeup artists in Malayalam cinema. He would have never done it on purpose; it was a slip of the hand. He wouldn’t have thought that it would make my life like this either,” she shared during a conversation with Can Channel Media.
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Kalaranjini continued, “Therefore, I don’t have any major sorrows. I have been acting since that day, thanks to my co-workers and fellow artistes. Whenever I say my lines, people go completely silent because those acting with me need to react to what I am saying. This (her acting career) has moved forward because of everyone’s cooperation.”
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“Ambili used to dub everything for me. She is no longer with us. Later, Rosshan Andrrews (director) asked me to use my own voice. Even then, I didn’t have the confidence. When I saw it, I felt it was not necessary. Then I did it in Chirakodinja Kinavukal. In Bharathanatyam, director Krishnadas insisted that I dub for myself. That’s how he helped bring my voice back,” she added.
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What happened on the fateful day
According to Mathrubhumi, the aforementioned tragic incident happened while Kalaranjini was working with Malayalam superstar Prem Nazir. In one scene, she was supposed to die by vomiting blood. Back then, fake blood was made by mixing coconut oil with red colour. Since Kalaranjini was wearing a white saree, it was certain the dress would be stained if the red liquid splattered on her body. Hence, right before the shoot, Prem Nazir told her, “I will feed it to you when the moment arrives.” Kalaranjini agreed.
However, she only remembers him pouring the red liquid into her mouth. Suddenly, Kalaranjini felt like her mouth and throat were burning and swelling up. But she couldn’t do anything; her windpipe contracted.
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Even after extensive treatment, there was no result. She mostly lost her voice and never fully regained it. She was in the hospital for about three months.
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Kalaranjini only learned what had actually happened to her later. The makeup artist had prepared the liquid by adding acid instead of coconut oil.
Disclaimer: This article is a personal narrative detailing a set injury and its long-term impact. It is provided for informational and editorial purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or professional safety guidance.
