On-screen heroes are sometime off-screen heroes too. This was recently proved in a potentially fatal accident which involved former Miss Universe Lara Dutta and co-star Akshay Kumar while they were shooting for Sunil Darshan`s Andaaz in Cape Town. Lara was near the sea for a shot when the current swept her away. Akshay, famous for his real-life stunts, jumped into the water and rescued her.

Lara doesn`t know how to swim and she was close to drowning. "I wasn`t aware that Lara didn`t know how to swim," says Akshay, "We were standing there when the lashing tide hit us both. Before we knew it, Lara was pulled away by the water. Finally, I managed to grab her hand and pull her back." Akshay, however, prefers to play modest, saying it is the moral duty of everyone to help others. Lara and Akshay were accompanied by Priyanka Chopra at the shoot for Darshan`s film. The shot required Lara and Akshay to stand near a cliff and enact a song sequence. The forceful tide collided against the barricade set up for the shoot, dragging Lara into the water.

Lara, of course, was shaken after the near-fatal accident. Says Darshan, "They were in a protected area, but the waves that day were very violent. Akshay saved her. All of us were surprised that Lara doesn`t know to swim." Darshan says Lara was given first aid immediately to keep away the chills: "She was shivering and we had to call off the shoot for a while."Meanwhile, Lara has resumed shooting after the mishap. All`s well that ends well. Thanks to a khiladi who is always in the swim of things.