Actor and producer Nani recently opened up about a road accident from his early days that he described as a “near-death experience”. Speaking on Raj Shamani’s podcast, the Telugu film star recalled how the incident deeply affected his understanding of life and pain.

Before owning a car, Nani said that, one day, he had borrowed a friend’s vehicle and was driving along a highway when he encountered a parked lorry in the middle of the road without any warning signal. “Only when I turned did I see the lights on the truck. It was right in front of me at 100 speed. The glass shattered, and I was covered in pieces,” he said.

He recalled the confusion and fear that followed, particularly as he realised his friend in the front seat, Prashant, was unresponsive. “I dragged him out, kept calling his name, and he finally woke up,” Nani said. On the way to hospital, their ambulance stopped to help another accident family with a child in critical condition. “I saw the baby and couldn’t feel anything anymore. I waited till morning to hear about the child’s condition,” Nani added, calling it a night that permanently altered his perspective.

His latest film, HIT: The Third Caseis currently playing in theatres.