After shooting for a short film, former Miss Kerala Ansi Kabeer and Anjana were returning home

Kochi/Kodakara (Thrissur): Raseena Beevi was the pillar of strength for Ansi Kabeer, who was killed along with her friend Dr Anjana Shajan in a reported high-speed car crash on Vytila-Edappally stretch of the bypass here early on Monday.

The women were in Kochi for the shoot of a short film. Anjana insisted on returning home since her mother Lathika was alone at her Aloor residence. Her father Shajan was in Aluva on work, and brother Arjun, a software engineer, was in Kochi. Dr Anjana Shajan, 26, who she had befriended Ansi during the 2019 pageant, was her companion in Kochi. The women were on their way to Anjana's residence in Thrissur along with two male friends when the accident occurred.

Anjana had left home on Saturday for the shoot. After completing her Plus-II in Hyderabad, she did her BAMS, before working for a brief period in a Bengaluru hospital. She was pursuing a career in modelling.

It came as a shock when news broke that Ansi's mother Raseena consumed poison. Ansi's relatives said Raseena might have ingested poison since she was so attached to her daughter. They said only close relatives were aware of Ansi competing in the 2019 pageant, which coincided with her cousin's wedding. Though born as the only child in a conservative family at Alamcode in Thiruvananthapuram, Ansi was allowed to chase her dreams, getting crowned as Miss Kerala, 2019, before winning the tiara at Miss South India pageant in 2021.

Ansi, 25, had in 2019 dedicated the crown to her mother, who consumed poison on learning about her death. Ansi's father, too, supported her endeavours. 

The young life was snuffed out as she was chasing her celluloid dreams. Her frequent visits to Kochi from her residence in Thiruvananthapuram was part of her attempts to realise the dream of becoming an actor. 

The outbreak of COVID-19, however, forced her to stay put in Thiruvananthapuram, where she engaged full time in her work at Technopark. She visited Kochi after the film industry once again became active, and theatres reopened.  

Their friend Muhammed Ashique of Kodungallur has been critically injured and is on ventilator support.

Abdul Rahman of Mala, who was at the wheels, escaped with minor injuries. Police have collected their blood samples for further investigation.

Anjana was seated on the car's rear seat along with Ansi.

Dulquer Salmaan mourns the deaths

After the news of their tragic death, actor Dulquer Salmaan took to his social media pages and revealed that he had collaborated with both Anjana Shajan and Ansi Kabeer for his upcoming project Salute and an ad film respectively. Expressing his deep condolences, he wrote, "I had the great privilege of working with both these young and vibrant girls. Anjana did a small role in Salute. And Ansi did a TV commercial with me. I pray for their families and friends to get through these trying times.”

Directed by Rosshan Andrrews, Salute stars Diana Penty, Manoj K Jayan, Alencier Ley and Binu Pappu in pivotal roles. Dulquer's home production Wayfarer Films has bankrolled the project.