"I was supposed to jump from a height of 45-50 feet into water. I know swimming so I thought I will manage it. At the last minute the stunt director told me he had changed the idea. I was now supposed to jump in the lying position. As I hit the water my nose started bleeding, I cut my tongue and I could barely breath. I had internal bleeding and a lot of my body parts turned black. I was bed-ridden for six months but I got no money except the payment for my stunt."
Jonny Master, a 45-year-old stunt-artist in the Kannada film industry, takes no time to understand why a journalist has called him. Two of his fellow artistes died on Monday as they jumped from a chopper into a lake while shooting a stunt sequence for an up-coming Kannada film.
I feel sorry for them, but this is not the first time it has happened. Two stuntmen died a few years ago, while they jumped with their bikes to barge into the second floor of a building. We are expected to do Bollywood stunts with one-tenth the money and almost no safety gear. In the 25 years of my career, no part of my body remains un-fractured.Jonny Master, Stunt Artist, Kannada Films
What Went Wrong
- The actors were supposed to jump from a chopper into the lake.
- They were doing such a stunt for the first time.
- They did not know swimming, they were acrophobic.
- No safety measures undertaken while shooting.
- There was no ambulance at the shooting spot.
- Dupes were supposed to shoot the stunt, but last minute actors were called in.
- The motor boat expected to reach them as they jump, failed to start.
Who is a Stunt Artist?
Stunt artists, actors and supporting staff continue to risk their life in the multi-billion dollar Indian entertainment industry. Many in Bollywood die and suffer injuries during stunt and fight sequences.
With shoe-string budgets and high aspirations things are worse at Kollywood, Tollywood, Jhollywood and other regional film industries. It is a war to grab eyeballs and no risk is bigger than the need to retain audiences.
There are no figures available of how many stunt artists, technicians or supporting staffers die during film and television shoots in India, but insiders reveal that the numbers could be in the hundreds.
The responsibility of such incidences lies with the director or the stunt directors. In Bollywood, they somehow follow safety measures because Salman Khan or Akshay Kumar will not perform a stunt sequence that risks their lives. They will demand safety gear and things to be in place. The same may happen in Kannada film industry if it is an actor like Sudeep or Darshan or a Punit Raj Kumar. But for others, life seems too cheap.KM Chaitanya, Kannada Film Director
Chaitanya, a prominent filmmaker, feels such accidents continue to occur since the industry never learns any lessons from mistakes.
The very meaning of a stunt artist is flawed in India. In the West, stunt performers are trained and equipped. They know about the rules, safety measures and the precautions to be taken. Here anybody who can tone his or her body and take a beating becomes a stunt artist. How many of our stunt artists are experts of martial arts or are equipped to deal with a lot of things they do?KM Chaitanya
Minutes before Kannada actors Raghav Uday and Anil died they said, "We are not good swimmers.” Speaking to the local media that was called to promote the film shooting, one of them said he has a fear of heights and that he has never gotten into a helicopter before. They said, "We thought doubles would do the stunt but now they are asking us to jump. I have faith in God, I am sure he will protect us.”
So, when everything about the shoot seemed wrong since the start, why did the actors risk their life?
The superhero image of male actors has linked them to the idea of machoism. You are not manly enough if you cannot perform daring acts and take risks. The stunt artists or actors succumb to this pressure. Sometimes they would say when the lead actor can take x amount of risk, the side artists or stunt artists should be willing to risk more!KM Chaitanya
Avinash Yelandur, one of the few Kannada actors who have enjoyed both critical and commercial success, blames it on the lack of creativity.
When the budgets are low and you cannot afford experts, you have to think of ways that can give comparable results. Could they have used a different setup, could graphics do the trick? There are shots and sequences that can be planned in creative ways to avoid risk, but do we do that?
Has Indian Cinema Failed Its Stunt Artists?
In 2015, a PIL was filed in the Bombay high court seeking safety guidelines and insurance for stuntmen and technicians. That nothing of this sort exists till date, says a lot. Stunts, action scenes or fight sequences are not the only death knells. There are hundreds of things that routinely go wrong on the sets of many regional films.
Every day, our technicians are subjected to hazards on sets. The lighting crew works in huge studios, fixing lights from a height of more than 45 feet without a harness or helmets. Electricians deal with 1000 KV generators without safety shoes. I remember a Marathi film shoot where the doctor and the ambulance was available throughout the stunt shoot but once the sequence was over, they were sent back. My question is, do rest of the lives matter less?Vasudeo Arun Rane, cinematographer, Marathi Cinema
As grim and sad as it may seem, the issue is not just about failing our stunt artists and ignoring their rights. It is also about the way Bollywood and regional cinema have evolved in India.
Hollywood, Bollywood and regional cinema compete for the same market in India. When a Kannada film releases, it is fighting with a Shah Rukh Khan film, which is in turn fighting with a Jurassic Park, in the same multiplexes, for the same space. They have different budgets and different scales, but they are fighting for the same audience. We don’t need to do what Hollywood or Bollywood is doing because we do not have those resources and scales. We need to come up with subjects that are suited to our budgets and speak to our audience.KM Chaitanya, Kannada Film Director
No Lessons Learnt
Twenty-five years ago, a devastating blaze swept through the sets of TV serial The Sword of Tipu Sultan in Mysuru, Karnataka. The fire killed 62 people and maimed many for life. Sanjay Khan, the lead actor, underwent 72 surgeries, while an ex-gratia amount of Rs 5000 was paid to some of the victims.
The Sword of Tipu Sultan was at the the centre of a long legal battle. But it had nothing to do with violating security norms or the issue of less compensation. The directors and producers were dragged to court for hurting religious sentiments.
The death of the two Kannada artists is a repeat of the history, if not in many ways then at least one. The 'deliberate ignorance of danger'.
But for those who died the unfortunate death, there is no retake.
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