Ajay Devgn’s tryst with danger in Baadshaho

It’s not news that Ajay Devgn does almost all of his stunts himself, but in Milan Luthria’s Baadshaho, he took his image as a daredevil to another level altogether when he insisted on doing an extremely challenging and complex scene. Designed by German action director Ramazan Bulut, the stunt required that he slide under an armoured truck. Though all safety precautions were in place, it was still dangerous.

The gap under the truck was apparently barely enough for him to fit in, while to his other side were the tyres. Right next to his face was the jagged engine, an element prominent in armoured trucks of the 70’s. The sequence required that he drag his feet on the ground, while pulling himself towards the front of the truck, and look up towards the camera which, according to the director, could have potentially injured his head.

Though Milan insisted that Ajay should only tilt his head up as much as was completely safe, he was not prepared for the extent the actor would go to. “He gave a terrific shot with his superb presence of mind, but because of the narrow gaps, and the rotating wheels and blades, I could see he was also having a claustrophobic attack. He was getting very uncomfortable and also beginning to get disoriented,” Milan says.

The moment Milan sensed this, he yelled at the top of his lungs for an immediate cut. But when the harness crew went under the truck to help the actor out, the drama wasn’t over as a part of his leather jacket got stuck. This apparently made the claustrophobia worse, and Ajay yelled at the crew to hurry up. And when he was finally out, there was a sense of palpable relief.