Daredevil acts get real
Akshay Kumar loves to do his own stunt scenes
Actors in Bollywood are ready to do their own stunts. Be it jumping from the high-rise buildings, walking through fire, getting a few punches or raunchy scenes, the actors are increasingly refusing for body doubles to do the risky and controversial scenes themselves.
“Earlier even action heroes used body doubles whereas now even non-action heroes are doing stunt scenes themselves. With enhanced equipments available many actors can afford to perform high jumps and other stunts. The technology has also helped in dramatising the action sequences using graphics,” says stunt director, Rashid Mehta, who worked as Dharmendra’s body double for most of his films.
Vidyut Jamwal, Tusshar Kapoor and Akshay Kumar and many more have recently said no to body doubles for stunt scenes. Even the actresses are getting bolder, like Esha Gupta in Raaz 3, and do not depend on body doubles when it comes to doing some hot and steamy scenes on screen.
However, the unsung body doubles are finding it hard to cope up with the changing trend in the industry. “I struggled for about five years before I got a chance to work as a body double. But with actors doing their own stunt scenes it’s getting harder for us to survive in the industry,” says Aman Kumar who does stunts for Hrithik Roshan and other actors.
But the trend is on the rise and actors are even going for a formal training to perfect the role. Like Aanaahad who is training under Tony Leung for an upcoming project. “Having a body double might be convenient but it’s no fun. When the audience appreciate your work, it’s all worth it,” says Aanaahad.
Director Madhureeta Anand says that Raima Sen, had refused for a body double in Madhureeta’s last film Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye. Madhureeta says, she would also like the actress to do the bold scenes in films herself. “If an actress agrees to do these scenes herself then a director can get more innovative and creative since these scenes are very crucial part of the scripts,” says Madhureeta.
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