Hollywood star Michael Madsen, who is playing a significant role in the upcoming Telugu film Nishabdam, reportedly went missing for several days from the sets.
The Kill Bill star reportedly sent the Nishabdam makers into tizzy when he did not turn up for the shoot at Seattle.
The actor, who had got a day’s break from his shooting schedule in July 2019, reportedly went missing for a week, keeping the entire unit on tenterhooks.
When the panicky filmmakers checked with Madsen’s manager, they found that he too didn’t have a clue about the actor’s whereabouts. They pulled out all the stops to trace the missing actor, but all their efforts went in vain. The shooting came to a standstill. Return tickets to India had been booked in advance, and the filmmakers were keen on wrapping up the shooting on schedule. But the possibility of that happening looked dim.
“The filmmakers then hired a private detective to trace Madsen,” a source said. After a week, the private detective tracked Madsen to a hotel in Canada.
Hotel authorities were reportedly at their wits’ end as they had been knocking on Madsen’s door for three days, but he would not open it. They then wanted to report the matter to the police. But meanwhile, the private detective eventually managed to speak to Madsen and convince him to open the door and also to return to the sets.
“The filmmakers breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Madsen back on the sets,” said another source, who added that the detective was paid around `25 lakh for tracing the actor.
The incident was ‘unfortunate’, but “All’s well that ends well”, says the film’s writer and one of the producers Kona Venkat, adding philosophically, “When we decide to make a film, we are prepared for all uncertainties. But Madsen’s acting calibre was worth the wait. He is such a brilliant actor and we feel his presence will elevate the film significantly.”
Nishabdam, directed by Hemant Madhukar, starring Anushka Shetty and Madhavan, is set for release on April 2.
