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This story is from December 15, 2005
Stunned men!
Apathy, ignorance & poverty cannot stop these daredevil body doubles from performing.
Apathy, ignorance & poverty cannot stop these daredevil body doubles from performing.
When Rachana Banerjee got three stitches on her leg, it made headlines. Lensman Binod Hari did get a mention in the media after he fell to his death from the set balcony. Probably, that was his obit.
What about all those who court death every moment? Take the case of Somnath Biswas who suffered 70 per cent burns while shooting for Rakhe Hari Mare Ke or fight master Bimal Roy who received 64 stitches and had to spend days in the hospital in his bid to shatter a glass sheet while playing body dummy to Chiranjeet in Joy Bijoy.
Yes, we are talking about stunned men... or in fact about stuntmen for whom the present is imperfect and the future tense.
Worst he has seen:
During my 30-year stint so far in the industry, I still shudder when I think about stuntman Somnath's case in Chennai. "Prosenjit had to bash up baddies with his 'burning' hand and in turn the villains would also flare up.
After the scene we rushed to the spot with extinguishers but lo! we realised that it was empty. Somnath was up in flames and had to be rushed to the hospital. But Somnath had the guts to carry on in this profession," added Shantanu.
So is the case with Bimal Roy. "With 64 stitches and 17 days in hospital, I never thought I would be back on my feet," said the stuntman whose karate skills drew him to the profession.
Eighteen years and 300 films later, Nantu Sarkar says, "The pay pack is paltry and work flow here is inconsistent."
Insurance:
The Movie Stuntman's Association of Eastern India has organised a mediclaim policy for members. But going by medical expenses, it is a paltry sum of Rs 35,000.
"We are planning life insurances for them. But since we belong to the high-risk group, we will have to pay a larger premium," said a member.
Despite all the hardships joining the profession is not a cakewalk. Debashish Brahma says, "I was an athlete and also dabbled in freehand exercise but had to go through trials after which I got the nod," he said. A lifetime of trials maybe!
amrita.mukherjee@timesgroup.com
When Rachana Banerjee got three stitches on her leg, it made headlines. Lensman Binod Hari did get a mention in the media after he fell to his death from the set balcony. Probably, that was his obit.
What about all those who court death every moment? Take the case of Somnath Biswas who suffered 70 per cent burns while shooting for Rakhe Hari Mare Ke or fight master Bimal Roy who received 64 stitches and had to spend days in the hospital in his bid to shatter a glass sheet while playing body dummy to Chiranjeet in Joy Bijoy.
Yes, we are talking about stunned men... or in fact about stuntmen for whom the present is imperfect and the future tense.
Stunt director Shantanu Pal says, "It's not easy to become a stuntman. Apart from the courage you also have to have good reflexes. But in case of injuries, there's been very little assistance from producers."
Worst he has seen:
During my 30-year stint so far in the industry, I still shudder when I think about stuntman Somnath's case in Chennai. "Prosenjit had to bash up baddies with his 'burning' hand and in turn the villains would also flare up.
After the scene we rushed to the spot with extinguishers but lo! we realised that it was empty. Somnath was up in flames and had to be rushed to the hospital. But Somnath had the guts to carry on in this profession," added Shantanu.
So is the case with Bimal Roy. "With 64 stitches and 17 days in hospital, I never thought I would be back on my feet," said the stuntman whose karate skills drew him to the profession.
Eighteen years and 300 films later, Nantu Sarkar says, "The pay pack is paltry and work flow here is inconsistent."
Insurance:
The Movie Stuntman's Association of Eastern India has organised a mediclaim policy for members. But going by medical expenses, it is a paltry sum of Rs 35,000.
"We are planning life insurances for them. But since we belong to the high-risk group, we will have to pay a larger premium," said a member.
Despite all the hardships joining the profession is not a cakewalk. Debashish Brahma says, "I was an athlete and also dabbled in freehand exercise but had to go through trials after which I got the nod," he said. A lifetime of trials maybe!
amrita.mukherjee@timesgroup.com
End of Article
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