Maasti Gudi mishap raises questions on safety

The death of actors Raghava Uday and Anil Kumar N during the shoot of

Maasti Gudi

at Thippagondanahalli has led to people questioning the safety standards adopted in Sandalwood. We asked senior fight master and filmmaker-actor Thriller Manju about this. 'There is no book as such with rules on what to do and what to implement. Instead, we have to take an oath that the best safety standards will be adopted during our shoot schedules, before we receive our association membership cards,' he says.
Ask him about the need to have ambulances, fire brigades and doctors on the set, and he says, 'Years ago, when I was filming Lockup Death, I had called an ambulance on the set, which had all the fighters and artistes scared and wondering if I planned a risky shot. I had to send it back to calm them down. The presence of an ambulance can be unnerving. But when doing something risky, we have to have an ambulance or the necessary safety and security backup on standby.' He adds that two safety kits are a must on his set always.
All Karnataka Cine Stunt Directors And Stunt Artists Association president Vinod Master says that a stringent process is in place when selecting a stunt artiste and master. 'We check the artiste's background completely, which includes police records, before inducting them. One has to work for five years as a stunt artiste, following which they can upgrade to an assistant stunt master. After three years as an assistant, the artist is given a stunt master card,' he says. The association hasn't decided what to make of the Maasti Gudi incident yet.
Ideal Stunt Safety Standards

• Presence of a doctor/nurse on call during any shoot involving even a mild risk
• Presence of an ambulance on standby during risky stunts
• Fire brigade on standby when performing big or spectacular action sequences
• Having ample safety kits on set
• Presence of a lifeguard/professional swimmers during the filming of any water scene, stunt or otherwise
• Briefing actors/stunt artistes about potential risks, be it for a small fight or a big stunt

Main accused goes missing
The Maasti Gudi mishap, which saw the untimely death of actors Raghava Uday and Anil Kumar N in a stunt gone wrong, has raised a lot of questions and accusations. The official FIR that was filed by the BWSSB names five members from the film's technical crew as the accused. Then, there is the last video of the two deceased actors that show them talking about being scared, but ready to do the stunt because they trusted their 'guru', actor Duniya Vijay. Some people consider him an accused as well, albeit not legally. Now, with the

Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce

(KFCC) and some of its affiliated associations coming to a conclusion on what to make of the issue, here's presenting what lies ahead for the people accused.
Ravi VarmaLegally: Cases have been filed under Sec 304A and Sec 308. He is currently missing.
What the Chamber says: He has been asked to stay away from any filming activities currently, until a joint meeting with the other accused parties is held and will decide the final course of action. His kin has been advised to ask him to come back and surrender, and sort out the issue.
NagashekharLegally: Cases have been filed under Sec 304A and Sec 308. He has been caught by the police and is in Ramanagara jail.
What the Chamber says: He has been asked to stay away from any sort of filming activities currently, until a joint meeting with the other accused is held and will decide the final course of action.
Sundar P GowdruLegally: Cases have been filed under Sec 304A and Sec 308. He has been caught by the police and is in Ramanagara jail.
What the Chamber says: We have no complaint against him. As the producer, he is not as much at fault as the director (Nagashekar) and stunt master (Ravi Varma).
Duniya VijayLegally: No case registered against him. He's been at the forefront of the search-and-rescue operation.
What the Chamber says: He has been asked to stay away from any sort of filming activities, until a joint meeting with the others involved in the case. Final course of action to be decided later.