Syed Jibran’s Near-Death Experience: His Fake Hanging at Adiala Jail
Pakistani star Syed Jibran, renowned for his sincere acting and down-to-earth personality, is likely familiar to many of his 3 million-plus social media followers.
He shared his near-death experience during a fictional jail scene in Adiala Jail; it was apparent how professional and dedicated he is towards his work.
Syed Jibran’s Story
Syed Jibran, when telling this story on the comedy show Hasna Mana Hai, came on the set of a platform fashioned to resemble a jail, and he was wearing a black mask. The director pulled the switch to simulate the hanging of Jibran. This scene was not meant to be. They asked Jibran to get off and try again.
When Jibran stepped down off the platform, the modulator for the hanging got jammed, and the platform crashed down. This could have truly ended in a tragedy.
All of the actors on set were frozen. Some people ran to him, while most were whispering prayers, “Sadqa,” or “thank God,” to acknowledge how close they came to losing Jibran at that moment. Jibran said he just escaped a life-ending accident.
Filming in a spot like that gives credibility. It provides realism with no falsehood from a production set perspective. But you can’t have realism if it creates danger. Jibran’s case and the fallen platform were stark reminders about how something technical could also represent a level of danger.
Safety on Film Sets: A Valid Acceptable Risk
Accidents on sets do happen, but they lack consequences. This incident should emphasize the case for having very strict safety protocols in place, particularly when it involves scenes with physical risk. Even a “normal” scene, if performed with safety mechanisms, could still be a disaster.
For Jibran, the risk was not the likelihood that the story would present risk, but rather the possibility of actual mechanical failure. There is simply no substitute for vigilance on location.
In the late 1970s, Adiala Jail was constructed in the regime of General Zia-ul-Haq and his Council of Ministers. It still retains the holding of high-security prisoners. It is intimidating, both as an edifice and as a period of history.
A Lesson in Gratitude and Reflection
Following the incident, Jibran shared how the team was shaken. He encouraged viewers to value life more. His surprise and the crew’s surprise conveyed visceral emotion—gratefulness to be alive and humility after the near miss.
True, we often don’t get to see that behind the scenes, and we forget how complicated it is to protect people and actors performing in such dramatic ways.
