Kochi, Feb 18 (IANS): Malayalam film actress Bhavana was on late Friday night kidnapped for a brief while on way from Thrissur to Kochi. She managed to escape, and her driver has been taken into custody, police said.

According to information, her driver is being suspected of involvement. He is part of a gang of four behind the incident, police said.

The actress is said to have been on way from Thrissur to Kochi after her shooting late on Friday night.

A car hit her vehicle from behind, following which an argument erupted over the accident. The passengers of the other car are reported to have forcefully entered her car and driven off with the actress. She managed to escape after a while.

Lok Sabha member Innocent, President of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, told reporters here that he has tried to get in touch with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan over the incident.

"I was told by his secretary that he is enroute to Delhi. I will speak to him later. I also spoke to the head of the police force Loknath Behra, who has assured me that the police are doing their job and all behind it would be arrested," said Innocent.

Leader of opposition Ramesh Chennithala, currently on a day-long protest at his home constituency near Alappuzha over the "sudden deterioration" of the law and order situation in the state, expressed shock over the incident.

"If this is the plight of a celebrity, what can one say about ordinary people. This is really shocking," said Chennithala, a former Home Minister.