Santhosh Narayanan escapes Middle East airspace shutdown by minutes: 'I was on the last flight'

The sudden closure of airspace across parts of the Middle East due to the escalating conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran created panic among travellers and residents. At a time when flights were being cancelled and airports were preparing for shutdown, music composer Santhosh Narayanan managed to leave the region just in time. However, his social media post quickly went viral when he declared that he was on one of the last flights taking off before the grounding, turning it into a high-stakes mission to leave the drama behind.The 'Seyon' composer shared that he boarded the flight shortly before multiple countries began closing their skies. While travelling toward the United States, he described the moment he got internet connectivity mid-air as deeply emotional. His first remark was about the people stranded in the area struck by the disaster. He prayed for them, called them his brothers and sisters, and expressed sympathy for the fear they experienced. A standoff in the area coincided with missile tests that sent texts and safety instructions to mobile phones in the location. The non-operation of certain airports and the suspension of commercial air travel left many in a suspended state. The worry among family members about social media postings was evident despite a guarantee from ground forces. With an experimental and trademark sound, Santhosh Narayanan continues to be a go-to composer for most Indian films with plenty of assignments across languages. Karthi’s ‘Vaa Vaathiyaar’ was his latest release. His next project involves composing music for major films, including Sivakarthikeyan’s 'Seyon.'