“Stunts in Bollywood not safe enough?” – Vidyut Jamwal : Bollywood News

If actors of our industry have stated that the safety measures being followed in Bollywood during an action scene are not up to international standards, it's true. Today, we are trying to make action films of international caliber, but as far as technical aspects like action choreography and stunts are concerned, we lag behind.

What we lack are good action professionals, who are well-versed in their fields. 'Arre kuch nahi hoga, trust us' is the staple assurance given to us when doing action. The growth and envelopment in this section of film-making has been very slow. And it's not surprising to see Indian film-makers roping in international action directors for their stunts!

“Stunts in Bollywood not safe enough?” – Vidyut Jamwal

On the contrary, international stuntmen are more professional in their approach, they constantly cross-check to see if the safety measures are adequate. For them it is a norm, be it movies or whatever. Like, when I had gone to Brazil for rock climbing. The people in charge did many safety checks on me; each time a different person took note to see if the harness fit me right and if I was ready to go.

We should understand that stunt is not bigger than human life. In India, all we care about is winding up the movie! Film-makers need to also understand that it's not just Bollywood stars who deserve protection; safety is the right of the common stuntmen too.

Another point I'd like to bring up is that in Bollywood, there are workshops for acting and dancing, but no workshops for action and stunts. Instead what happens is that an action director starts teaching the actors (and others) their stunt sequence just before the actual shot. It's a complete contrast to Hollywood; they have action and stunt workshops 20 days ahead of the actual shoot. They rehearse the stunts.

What also needs to be taken stock of are the tools and equipments used for action oriented movies. The cables, harnesses and belts are usually too old. They need to be upgraded and maintained. At the end of it, there is no bigger investment than life itself.

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