Koel and Dev shoot a stunt for Rangbaaz in Bangkok

There were a lot of ‘ouch’ and ‘OMG’ moments on the sets of Rangbaaz in Bangkok. Thanks to action director Allan Amin, the man who made us gape at Hrithik Roshan in Dhoom:2! In Raja Chanda’s Rangbaaz, Allan made Dev jump from the 34th-floor rooftop of Bangkok’s CAT Tower and Koel from a chopper! In between, t2 caught up with Allan for a quick chat.

You are a man in demand in Bollywood. What made you say yes to Rangbaaz, a Bengali film?

Well, I found Nispal (Singh Rane, producer) to be a very nice guy. He was so emotional about the film and the script. For me any film is a film irrespective of the language. The Rangbaaz team is so passionate. Dev met me before we began shooting and he was eager to do all the stunts himself. He looked excited instead of scared. I was very touched by their gesture.

What are the things that you take into account while designing the stunts for a particular hero?

See, first I read up his character in the film and then I decide to what extent I can go with the character, so that he doesn’t become a superhero but can do super stunts! That’s how I design the action. The basic rule I follow is that none of my stunts should be a copy of my earlier films. The action scenes of Rangbaaz are on a par with any Bollywood film. I am not taking things easy just because it’s a Bengali film. I am designing the action scenes to the best of my abilities.

Some of the stunts are very risky. Don’t you ever get goosebumps?

As you can see, when we make the actors do the stunts they are always tied with cables... and we use a superior variety, imported from Australia. For the extremely challenging stunts, I use body doubles. I only scream ‘action’ once I am 100 per cent sure of the safety measures. I keep checking and re-checking.

You’ve worked with the best in Bollywood. Who does the best action?

Dev! (Laughs)

He’s from Tollywood!

Okay, everybody does it diligently. They all trust me and know that I will make them look good even in the most daring stunts. My favourite? I can’t say, there will be a problem nah? (Laughs) Hrithik (Roshan) is very good. He had trained for Dhoom:2 for six months... from rollerblade to snowboarding. So he put in that much effort, that’s why it showed on screen.

How do you motivate actors to do those spine-chilling stunts?

First, I put them at ease by explaining the stunts. Then I make my guys do the stunts in front of them a couple of times. Only when the actors are 100 per cent sure and they trust me enough do we go for a take. It’s actually a question of trust.

And how do you build trust?

I give them good food to eat before every stunt! (Laughs)

How do you come up with different stunts for each film?

See, I read a lot. And I don’t watch too many films, so when I read I keep thinking about how I can incorporate the sequences in the films. I read a lot of Frederik Pohl [American science-fiction writer]. I am not inspired by Hollywood films. That’s why my stunts are different in every film.

Your most daring stunt till date?

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.