Nandita Das recounts heart-stopping rhino chase at Kaziranga

Acclaimed actress and filmmaker Nandita Das recently had a thrilling encounter with wildlife during her visit to the famed Kaziranga National Park in Assam. What was meant to be a peaceful safari with her son turned into a heart-pounding moment when a rhino suddenly charged at their jeep.

Sharing the experience on Instagram, Das posted pictures from the trip and detailed the dramatic incident that unfolded in the park’s Eastern Range—a quieter, less touristy section. She began her post by describing the serene beauty of Kaziranga, writing, “Waking up to birds chirping, breathing clean air, eating delicious Assamese food... Bliss!”

The tone of the post quickly shifted as she recounted the near-miss with the charging rhino. During what appeared to be a routine safari sighting, Das reached for her phone to snap a photo of a rhino nearby. But before she could capture the moment, the animal turned sharply and began sprinting directly at their jeep.

“We had just been told by our guide that rhinos run at 60 km/h, have poor eyesight but excellent hearing and smell, and they can attack jeeps and people,” she wrote. “We both froze. The guide urgently told the driver to drive as fast as he could.”

With the rhino chasing them at full speed, the guide resorted to making loud noises to deter the animal. Fortunately, the ploy worked—the rhino halted its charge and disappeared into the bushes.

“Phew!! We all skipped several heartbeats,” she shared. “After some silence, we spoke about all that we thought in those split seconds. It was scaryyyyy!”

While the experience left them shaken, it’s clear that Nandita and her son walked away with an unforgettable memory—and a renewed respect for wildlife.