Every stunt director is a stuntman first it's the stuntman association's role. And to become a stunt director he has to be a stuntman for 8 years.

Before I became a stuntman, I was a junior artist, way back in 1975.

I failed Standard 9, and was asked to leave school. My father was a junior artist; he did some character roles as well. So he would take me for shoots.

In 1975, when I was 16 years old, I enrolled as a junior artist. After working for two-three years, I did not enjoy work any more. And I knew there was no future as a junior artist.

My father's friends and senior stunt directors Ravi Khanna (Reshma Aur Shera), and Shetty (Amar Akbar Anthony) told him to make me a stuntman because that would pay well.

They took me under their wing and encouraged me. I became stunt man in 1978, and became a double for Dharamendra and Dilip Kumar. Dilipji would always recommend my name to his directors.

I was quite friendly with Jimmy Allen, who was working in Sholay. So he would call him to his shoots. I gained a lot of camera knowledge from him.

In 1986, I became a stunt director. My first film was Pankuj Parasher's Jalwa, starring Naseeruddin Shah and Pankaj Kapur. We finished the film in six months.

Jalwa's action was very good, and many directors like N Chandra (Tezaab), Vidhu Vinod Chopra (Parinda) and Subhash Ghai (Ram Lakhan) and Mukul Anand (Hum) signed me up because of that film.

I have done more than 200 films as a fight director. I have also directed films like Vinashak, Anarth and Khabri: The Informer.

Also read: Jodhaa Akbar, a preview

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