ACTION STATIONS: Stunt woman Priya Gamre. (Pic: Gajanan Dudhalkar)

On the blazing sands of Mumbai’s Mahim beach, a group of Bollywood’s strong women squat for their lunch, sandwiched between two monstrous trucks bearing trunks of costumes of a film unit.

These are Bollywood’s stunt women, or ‘fighters,’ best known for their brawn. And their spot on the sidelines of the sets of the Ajay Devgan starrer Halla Bol is only symbolic of their place in the Indian film industry.

While the younger women have become used to their position, 53-year-old Reshma, the oldest among them, has seen better days — especially in the seventies and eighties. “In my time, we always sat in chairs — never like this,” she says, pointing to the sand. Those were the days when they were waited upon by spot boys.

But more than anything, Reshma, who rose to fame for her role as Hema Malini’s double, Basanti, in the still-remembered scene of a tonga overturning in Sholay, says she misses the stars of those days. She saw the industry dominated by actresses such as Madhubala, Mala Sinha and Hema Malini. “They were all so loving and appreciative, unlike today’s stars who don’t bother much about us.”

The times, no doubt, have changed. Action these days is mostly done by men, who outnumber stunt women in a ratio of 415:15. “With more men in dhishum dhishum roles, there has been hardly any need for stunt women,” says Sanjay Gadhvi, director of the action-spewing Dhoom II. “Bollywood actresses are fussy and hardly ever do stunts,” adds Rashid Mehta, president of the 49-year-old Movie Stunt Artists Union. “Also, stunt directors would not like to endanger the movie stars.”

And if there is any action, today’s actresses often seek to do their own stunts. Aishwarya, Gadhvi points out, leapt 350 feet (harnessed of course) down the Oribi gorge near Durban for Dhoom II. And then there was Esha Deol who wanted to demonstrate her training in martial arts in an action movie.

There is another trend — and that is of men, sometimes foreigners, who take on an actress’s stunts. Take, for instance, an Australian stunt man who was Aishwarya’s double for one of her bike stunts in Dhoom II. “When it comes to jumping off the tops of skyscrapers, it’s men who are mostly considered — even if they are camouflaged in a wig,” says Mehta.

Though stunt women in Bollywood have been around since the time of the Fearless Nadia, filmmakers such as Gadhvi are increasingly looking overseas for more “specialised” talent. “If I make a Charlie’s Angels with Preity, Lara and Bipasha, I’ll get stunt women from abroad,” says Gadhvi. “After all, how often can one make a stuntman wear a wig?”

And this despite the fact that stunt women from countries such as Australia charge Rs 50,000 a shift, unlike their Indian counterparts who are paid no more than Rs 2,800 a shift. The only ones who are paid even less are the girls who are flown in from Bangkok, and who, stunt director Allan Amin says, make Rs 1,000 a shift.

The women from overseas have specialised training in stunts, but Indian stunt women — such as lithe and bold Sanobar, who did stunts for Aishwarya Rai and Bipasha Basu in Dhoom II — are trained in gymnastics and martial arts. Sanobar, 20, entered the industry when she was 15. Another stunt woman, Salma, 18, has been around for four years. Salma was trained by her father, Halim Khan, a Bollywood stunt director, while Sanobar has her big-time astrologer father, Bejan Daruwalla, giving her advice. She even dropped the ‘e’ in her name to make herself more star friendly.

“When I complained to my father that he was not training me to be a stunt artist, simply because I was a girl, he was very moved and decided to induct me, together with my four brothers,” says Salma.

Sanobar even carries her reel life image to Mumbai’s fast lanes. She zips around on Marine Drive at top speed with her stunt man boyfriend, switching positions in motion, on a very coveted Honda Hurricane.

Yet when it comes to acts of daring, stunt directors still wow older artistes such as 39-year-old Suraiya. “The stunt women of the seventies and eighties were daredevils,” says stunt director Amar Shetty. “Nowadays, safety levels are very high, with equipment such as air pads for landing from heights.” But even with such equipment, stunts call for precision and guts. Stunt woman Priya Gamre, 25, recalls the challenge in jumping off a seven-storeyed building while shooting for an advertisement. “I only trust God,” she says.

Injury is a real fear. Reshma’s own days of jumping are over, after she hurt her back while shooting last October. Meena, 28, who boasts of leaps of up to 1,000 feet in Kulu and Manali, says she fears jumping off heights ever since she injured her wrist.

Suraiya’s face was badly affected when she was dragged by a motorcycle while doing stunts on the sets of the Rekha starrer Kismat ki Rekha. “Rekha was so moved by my condition that she asked me to switch from being a stunt artist to a dancer — for which she was ready to help me.”

Many of these women have more reason to worry about the loss of life and limb. If they are not members of the Cine Artists Union, they are not entitled to accident cover. But if the membership fee that Reshma paid to become a member in the mid-seventies was a princely Rs 770 at a time when stunt women were paid Rs 175, it is still a heavy Rs 80,000, which most cannot afford.

“But being a member of the union ensures that stunt artists are paid a just wage,” says Mehta, adding that if all goes well, union members could even get LIC policies, soon.

Still, not many stunt women are ready to give up their jobs. That is why Salma continues despite being injured in a fire scene that burnt her hair and forced her to keep her eyes shut for a month. “I want to be the Sania Mirza of stunts,” she says.

And Reshma, who has seen it all — the highs and lows — still yearns for a good stunt. What keeps her going is the thrill of applause for many a dangerous act. “It makes me forget all the hardship,” she says.