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The world of cinema might be entertaining for some, but others might find it cringy, boring, or dull. But the fact is a lot goes behind each and every scene you witness on screen. It was a more difficult task to shoot stunt-based scenes for actors in the bygone era. Shahid Kapoor‘s dad, Pankaj Kapur, opened up about shooting one such scene.
Recalling how it was a near-death experience on the sets of Kundan Shah‘s much-celebrated film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, the veteran actor shared how the iconic open lift scene in the film was shot after many difficulties.
In an interview with Filmkopath, Pankaj Kapur recalled, “The three of us, me, Renu Saluja (the editor) and Kundan stood in that when they pulled us to the 25th floor. I almost died! When we came down, I told him the lift is too small to even place a camera on.”
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However, this was not it. There was another scene that was to be shot with a bigger lens and more people involved. The lift went to the 25th floor, and the scene was to be shot on the 26th floor. Everyone was told to get down on the 25th floor and climb one floor. However, none realized their plan was a death trap waiting to happen.
The industry was in its nascent stages, and safety protocols were lax. Actors often performed their own stunts without the aid of specialized equipment or trained professionals. Pankaj Kapur recalled boarding the lift with 25 other people, “What we didn’t realize was we had overloaded the lift! I kept saying we were too many, but no one listened to me.”
Kapur, along with his co-actors and the crew, found themselves suspended in mid-air, their lives hanging by a thread. He narrated, “Once we started to go up, the lift got stuck at the 7th or the 8th floor! There was panic; they couldn’t pull it up or put it down. We are fortunate there was no accident. Everyone just jumped! It wasn’t even that the lift had leveled– there was a gap between the platform and the building.”
He further recalled, “Once we went up, the guy said the wire pulling the lift was tearing (because of the weight). We were fortunate we got saved. Otherwise, 20-25 of us would’ve fallen from the 7th or the 8th floor straight to the ground.”
Pankaj Kapur’s near-death experience on the sets of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is a spine-chilling reminder of the concerns and issues faced by the actors in the past. Thankfully, the industry has evolved with time and safety measures are now of paramount interest!
For more such anecdotes, stay tuned to Koimoi.
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