Vicky’s dad speaks about his action scenes

Sham Kaushal has been the leading action director for decades and continues to be a sought after name for stunts and action in both films and OTT. Of late, the spotlight has been on his son Vicky Kaushal’s marriage to Katrina Kaif and the senior film technician likes to keep his family life private. In conversation with ETimes, Sham Kaushal discusses his long career as an action director, his association with Ajay Devgn and his father Veeru Devgn and also reveals some intimate insights on his son Vicky. Read on:
You’ve had a long association with Ajay Devgn. You’ve choreographed action for him right through the 90s all the way up to his newest projects in 2022. How do you look back at your relationship with him?
I have worked with Ajay ever since I entered the film industry as a stunt man. I used to work with his father Veeru Devgn ji. I think Ajay must have been in 4-5th standard when I started working with Veeru ji. They used to stay in Santacruz at that time. I didn’t know anything about stunt work. Honestly speaking I was just working with him as an assistant.

Later when I became an action director, I worked with Ajay in Dhanwaan (1993). We share a respectable bond. Kuchh log ek doosre se milte kam hain lekin dil se jude hote hain (Some people have a special bond, they don’t need to meet to keep affection alive). It’s not necessary that we work together all the time, but even if you meet such people after years, you feel affection for them. Ek doosre ko Punjabi jhappi daal de toh wohi apnapan lagta hai (A tight Punjabi hug is all it takes to stir up emotions). And Ajay is such a warm person like his father.
When Veeru ji passed away, I was shooting in Kochi. I remembered all our days together, especially when I was walking the streets hungry, he took me to his home and fed me.

In your opinion, how much has action in films evolved or changed over the years?

It’s far better than earlier. The crux of action is the story. And as storytelling changes, action changes along with that. Back in the 80s the films revolved around revenge and vendetta. There was a typical setup with hero, heroine and a villain. Eighty per cent films had the same format, a villain kidnaps the hero’s heroine, sister or mother and the hero goes to rescue them.

Today, there are no definite villains in films. Accordingly, action has also changed. Earlier people wanted to watch dishoom-dishoom. Now, the taste of multiplex as well as single screen audience has changed a lot. People are now aware about filmmaking. You have to design action accordingly. Today, the action needs to look believable. You can’t cheat the audience anymore. Earlier we could shoot with a body double and punch-in the hero’s close-ups in between. Now, people come to know if you’re trying to fool them.

You’ve worked through a time when Hindi film stars would work in 15 films simultaneously. Today, even the busiest stars do 2-3 films in the same year at max. Is this a better practice?

The producers and directors also know that they have to create something good for the audience then only will the public watch their films. Nowadays, all actors are willing to give time for rehearsals. Producers are ready to spend money. Now we have specialised equipment that makes it safe to do action.

Whatever stunt we want the actor to do, the stuntman demonstrates it ten times. We only choreograph action that is safe to do. Earlier the actors didn’t have time at all. They’d come for 2-3 hours, do their close-ups and leave. Nowadays most actors are physically agile. They invest a lot of time in fitness. They’re ready for rehearsals so that they’re comfortable on the day of the shoot. Such practices help improve our work as well. There’s a paradigm shift in the approach towards action and overall effort put in to filmmaking.

Today, even actresses look after their fitness and are athletic enough to do their own action.
See, be it an actor or actress, today, everyone wants to sell themselves. So, everyone wants to do better work. They know that the stakes are very high. Actresses are also ready to practice and rehearse. In the past, our filmmakers didn’t have a rigid culture of working with a bound script. Kahin bhi koi bhi scene aa jaata tha (Scenes used to crop up at random). Today, whenever the actors take up a film, they know what they have to do in it. Today, everyone does workshops and readings. They absorb everything before the film starts rolling. They come forward to do rehearsals, improve on their weaknesses. It’s a good phase.

Are youngsters now choosing the profession of action and stunts as their vocation?
There are many action directors coming up. Because there’s so much opportunity right now because of web series. Almost everyone I see is busy shooting somewhere. Earlier action/stunts used to be considered as physical labour. Today, it’s both physical and mental. Today’s generation knows the importance.

Our union also makes sure that there’s control over the number of people who can join the union. See, when someone becomes a member of the union he/she pays a certain fees for their membership. So, there needs to be work in the industry for them. If the new members or the existing members don’t have enough work then there will be unemployment. There’s no point in enrolling people if there’s not enough work for everyone.

We open applications for membership to the union once or twice in the year. The ones who have applied, have to undergo a test to qualify. There’s also an age bracket. We provide membership only to a certain number of people. Because, end of the day, sabka ghar chalna chahiye (everyone needs to earn a livelihood).

How do you review Vicky Kaushal’s ability to pull off action? Have you taught him the tricks of the trade?

I like the emotion he puts into his action. Simply put, what is action? Action is an expansion of anger. When we are not able to solve a conflict through conversation we raise our hands. If I don’t have that emotion, that anger within, the raising of the hand will look mechanical. What is dance? Dance is an expression of happiness. No matter how much we dance, if the happiness is not visible on our face, the dance will not look genuine. Our emotions direct our body in action.

What can Indian action films learn from the West?

I don’t know why, but I am not in awe of their action. I like to go with our stories. See, if the Chinese, Japanese and Korean films have done better than Hollywood films, they have not done it by copying. They achieved that by telling their stories and representing their culture. Look at our films that have grossed 300+ crores. Those are not copies of the West. Those are our original stories.

The West has their own way of storytelling and relevant budgets. If we design action according to our emotions and culture, maybe we can get international acclaim, too. What’s the point in copying their style and showing it to them? I believe, bhagwaan ne dimaag diya hai toh jo bhi uss se soch pata hoon, woh karne ki koshish karta hoon (I believe, God gave me a brain that allows me to think and I try to achieve what I can imagine).

How do you view the current status of the stuntmen’s community?

It’s good. But there are professional hazards. See, with age, everyone’s responsibilities increase and action is physically demanding work. After a certain age, say 40-45 years, a stunt artiste doesn’t have the same courage as before. Some manage to become stunt directors because they don’t have that strength left in them to pull off stunts.

When it comes to opportunities, all of them have enough work. When I joined the union, only a few stuntmen, who were also body doubles, had motorbikes. Now we see many stuntmen owning cars and flats.

Do you think a stuntman should have an alternate source of income?

Yes. You either be so good with your work that after 40, you can become an action director. Or save enough money, which will help you start a new career, after you cannot do action anymore. Credit Source – https://ift.tt/8mC1LnO

The post Vicky’s dad speaks about his action scenes appeared first on Stay in Gurgaon.