Twitter
Advertisement

'Raavan': So who is the real hero?

What you probably don’t know is that it was not Abhishek but his body double MS Balram, a Bangalore-based former national diving champion, who actually did that death-defying stunt.

Latest News
article-main
FacebookTwitterWhatsappLinkedin

What everyone knows is that actor Abhishek Bachchan jumped from a 90-foot-high cliff for a scene in the film Raavan. What you probably don’t know is that it was not Abhishek but his body double MS Balram, a Bangalore-based former national diving champion, who actually did that death-defying stunt.

It was a challenge thrown at him in 2003 to dive from a cliff at the Hogenakkal falls that finally led to Mani Ratnam’s production house Madras Talkies choosing him for the stunt.

It was during an excursion in 2003 to Hogenakkal with senior swimmers’ national team, which included Nisha Millet and national coach Pradeep Kumar, when Balram (then 23) dived from the cliff.

“I clearly remember Balram diving off that cliff. He was dared by Pradeep Kumar, and he actually did it. Nobody has ever done a forward dive there (as shown in the film). We all know he is the best diver around, but to do it at a water falls is totally different and we all were in awe when he did it then,” said Nisha Millet.

Balram received the call from Madras Talkies on December 17, 2008, enquiring about divers who could perform the dive at Hogenakkal falls. As Balram had already done it before he readily agreed to do it himself.

“Yes, we had this diver from Bangalore to perform this stunt for both Abhishek and Vikram. We have also given credits for Balram as a body double for Abhishek Bachchan and Vikram,” says a member of Madras Talkies on condition of anonymity.

But Balram’s decision was strictly opposed by his family members.

Balram’s family, especially elder brother Bhaskar, was staunchly opposed to him performing the risky stunt. But it was his eldest brother Bhushan, who had witnessed Balram’s first jump in 2003, who convinced the family to let him take the plunge for Abhishek in Raavan. Balram did not inform his wife Anuradha until after he performed the stunt. “She got to know only after I returned from the shoot,” says Balram.

Find your daily dose of news & explainers in your WhatsApp. Stay updated, Stay informed-  Follow DNA on WhatsApp.
Advertisement

Live tv

Advertisement
Advertisement