New Delhi: Actor Rashmika Mandanna found herself in the midst of a harrowing experience as the Air Vistara flight she was suffered a technical glitch and turned and landed back in Mumbai Yesterday. The incident took place as the actor was flying from Mumbai to Hyderabad and she was accompanied by actor Shraddha Das.
Turbulence and technical issues prompted the flight to return to Mumbai just 30 minutes after takeoff. The airlines said that the decision to return back was a precautionary step to ensure the safety of passengers.
"Shortly after take-off, a technical snag was detected on Vistara flight UK531 operating from Mumbai to Hyderabad on 17 February 2024. As a precautionary step, in accordance with the standard operating procedures, the pilots decided to turn-back and landed the flight safely at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International airport, Mumbai," an Air Vistara spokesperson told NDTV.
"An alternate aircraft was arranged, which departed shortly thereafter to complete the journey. All efforts were made to minimise inconvenience to the customers including offering them refreshments," the airlines added.
Rashmika Mandanna, who recently starred in the movie 'Animal', took to her Instagram account to share the shocking experience, posting a selfie with Shraddha Das and captioning it, "Just FYI this is how we escaped death today…"
The passengers, including the two actors, had to endure extreme turbulence before the decision was made to return to Mumbai for safety reasons.
Currently riding high on the success of "Animal," Rashmika Mandanna is actively involved in the shooting of her much-anticipated film, "Pushpa 2: The Rule." She will reprise her iconic role of Srivalli alongside Allu Arjun. The first installment, "Pushpa: The Rise," directed by Sukumar, achieved blockbuster status upon its release in 2021.
Last year, the 27-year-old made headlines when a deepfake video featuring her went viral on social media. The deepfake video showcased British-Indian influencer Zara Patel, entering a lift in a black outfit. However, through the use of deepfake technology, Ms Patel's face seamlessly morphed into that of Ms Mandanna.
Deepfakes are a form of synthetic media crafted using artificial intelligence, employing sophisticated algorithms to manipulate both visual and audio elements. The term gained prominence in 2017 when a Reddit user introduced a platform for sharing manipulated videos.