"THEY DON’T KNOW IF THEIR MEN ARE GOING TO RETURN HOME", AISHWARYA DHANUSH

The recent tragic death of two stunt men Uday and Anil while shooting an action scene for a Kannada film has shaken the industry and the public alike. We spoke to Aishwarya Dhanush who has made a documentary called Cinema Veeran, the first part of which talks about the lives and travails of stunt men. Over to Aishwarya:

Tragic incident
It is deeply saddening and tragic. I was told that they were just asked to jump into a reservoir. I cannot even comprehend this. It has been happening time and again. This kind of carelessness is unforgivable and unacceptable because at the end of the day, it is all about lives. It is important that adequate precautionary measures are taken.

Stunt artists
The stunt artists don’t have enough knowledge on safety procedures and they go by the passion for their work.  It is their daily bread at the end of the day. They would jump if they are asked to jump; they are that way. It is imperative that stunt choreographers take precaution. Every movie should have some kind of safety plan. Awareness must be there.

Graphics and VFx
In today’s world, when there are technological advancements like Vfx and graphics, I can’t fathom why people go to this extent especially when you are not equipped. If you are equipped, please go ahead and show your grandeur and valour. But you need to be safe. It is important as at the end of the day it is life and a family is waiting for you at home.

Mandatory safety procedures from industry
Such incidents are happening time and again. My documentary talks about the safety hazards and life-threatening things the stunt men face in their work. Since I have interacted with these people, I know how families of Uday and Anil will be feeling. They will be lost. They don’t know what their tomorrow is going to be. Sadly, people from the same family will go into the same stunt union with the same card and go back to work. It is extremely sad and I really, really hope that the industry takes a kind of a collective decision regarding mandatory safety plans.

Is there any improvement in the condition of the stunt men in the earlier times and now?
No, there is no improvement at all and they are just the same. No matter how many lives are lost, the family will continue to send back their sons to do this. The union card is prestigious to them. They want to own the card. It is literally like life or death every day. When the ladies send their men to work, they don’t know if their men are going to return in one whole piece or not. But it is their job and they don’t complain and love doing it. If you look at the documentary, you will realize their happiness; they take pride in what they do. So, when you have people like that, it is our duty to take care of them.  We need to keep them safe.

Is there any kind of penalizing measure for people responsible for these lapses?
Ironically, no! Legally, you can’t do anything. It is only on the basis of humanitarian values that the family gets compensated. But can you compensate life? It is irreversible. No amount of money can give the lives to the family. In my opinion, there is no point in penalizing them because your damage is already done. The only thing we need to do is to have stringent safety systems. The stunt union needs to put down these conditions. They need to say that they will work and risk only if certain safety strategies are in place. It is important they start thinking on those lines.

We wish the industry comes out with perfect safety policies and that there are no more lives lost. 

Jyothsna Bhavanishankar

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