ERNAKULAM: Elephants who were shooting for a Telugu film starring Vijay Deverakonda clashed in Kothamangalam. Puthuppally Sadhu and Thadathavila Manikandan were the elephants who clashed. Efforts are on to find Sadhu who ran into the forest after being attacked by Manikandan. The shooting of the film was taking place in an area adjacent to the Kuttampuzha forest. The incident took place when the shooting of a fight scene involving five elephants was in progress. As soon as the shooting started, Puthuppally Sadhu was repeatedly attacked by Thadathavila Manikandan. When Manikandan continued to attack without following the instructions of the mahouts, Puthuppally Sadhu rushed into the forest.

The film's crew and the locals ran for their lives as the elephants ran away. Many people were injured. Even the cameras that were brought for the shooting were damaged. The elephants were brought for a two-day shoot. The incident took place during the first day of the shoot. The search for Puthuppally Sadhu is progressing with the help of forest department officials. It is dangerous to look for an elephant late at night in an area where herd of wild elephants regularly travels. The other four elephants were shifted from the spot by forest department officials.

Puthuppally Sadhu, popularly known as Aranya Prajapati, is one of the most admired elephants. The elephant is owned by Pappalaparambu Varghese of Puthuppally in Kottayam. Sadhu was acquired by Varghese from Assam in 1998. The elephant was given the same name as the documents. Sadhu, like his name suggests, is a quiet elephant. Puthuppally Sadhu is a star-studded presence in most festivals in the state, including Thrissur Pooram. Fans are eagerly waiting for his return.