Reshma Pathan: Bollywood’s first stunt woman career also faced the casting couch || Moviesda
Among the biggest Bollywood movies, Reshma Pathan has an illustrious career doing some life-threatening stunts. Reshma Pathan is known as the first stunt woman of the Indian film industry. Reshma did several risky acts for the biggest ladies, like Hema Malini, Sridevi, Rekha, Meena Kumari, Bindiya Goswami, and other actresses, during her distinguished career.
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0 Reshma Pathan: Bollywood’s first stunt woman career who faced the casting couch || Moviesda
Among the biggest Bollywood movies, Reshma Pathan has an illustrious career doing some life-threatening stunts.
Reshma Pathan is known as the first stunt woman of the Indian film industry. Reshma did several risky acts for the biggest ladies, like Hema Malini, Sridevi, Rekha, Meena Kumari, Bindiya Goswami, and other actresses, during her distinguished career. Reshma has even performed stunts for regional movies in Bhojpuri and other languages. Apart from this, he also worked as a body double for actresses like Dimple Kapadia and Meenakshi Seshadri. Performing stunts doesn’t need words, according to what Reshma reportedly told Filmfare. Reshma, who has worked in the film industry for a long time, believes that, “It does not matter what time is going on. Women have always had to face the bad intentions of men.
Why did Reshma choose for stunts?
Reshma had to begin her job at the age of 14, being the eldest of the four siblings. He had to choose this path to feed his family. . Her father fell ill, and her mother was detained for smuggling rice, textiles, and other commodities out of Vapi. Reshma had to take up the role of family provider as a result. Her tomboy attitude intrigued Pathan’s uncle, fight director S.Azim, who gave her debut film, “Ek Khiladi Bawan Patte,” as actress Laxmi Chaya’s duplicate. 175 rupees were earned by Reshma for the movie.
In an interview, she narrated his objection regarding casting couch. When Reshma was asked about the kind of offers made to her by producers and actors, Reshma, 65, said, “Though physically I was strong and could punch anyone, but I had to run my house. ” Reshma told that she used to cleverly escape from such proposals. According to Reshma, “I did not make any compromise. I used to tell them that look, I respect you, so please don’t do anything that will make your respect fall in my eyes and don’t do any disrespectful act with me.
The blazing career of Reshma Bollywood’s first stunt woman
Following the release of the 1972 movie, Reshma was the sole stunt double for A-list actresses such as Hema Malini (‘Sholay’), Bindiya Goswami (‘Shaan’), Rekha for ‘Mujhe Meri Biwi Se Bachao’, Meena Kumari for ‘Mere Apne’, and many more. Reshma is a woman of that era when in 1968, most of the action scenes were done by men. Even the action scenes of actresses were done by men wearing clothes like women.
Reshma fell from the tonga while riding it during the filming of the iconic Hema Malini chase scene for “Sholay,” but Pathan had his wound sewn up and returned to the action despite being advised to go to the hospital. Similar to how she received a bruise when acting as Sobha Khote’s body double in “Karz,” the truck struck her hard. In “Jyoti,” Pathan body-doubled Malini, and she was twice trampled by a bull during the bullfight.
I was junior so I did not get the job.
Reshma says that it was her zeal to fight poverty that did not let her courage break. But her entry into the male dominated area was very involuntary.She said, “Obviously there were constraints, gender equality was not treated like it is today. If you have the stamp of junior artist on your head, then they are not going to give you the role of an actress.
The Sholay Girl
The film “The Sholay Girl” brought Reshma’s adventurous lifestyle into the digital age. Reshma was portrayed by actress Bidita Bag, and it details the stuntwoman’s story. Pathan thought that this cinematic adaption was a tribute to her 50 years of toil. The 2017 film “Golmaal Again” included her in a brief cameo appearance
The industry’s attitude towards me was twofold.
Reshma said, “If a girl does not have the hunger to walk the unexplored path, how will she be able to do something unique? I started work as a junior artist and the conditions were not that flexible in those days. I really wanted to act but the only answer I used to get was – Tum stunt karo na, tum acting kaise karogi? These people also used to tell me how beautiful you are, these are the same people who today celebrate an industry without any discrimination.
Who knows who is under whose shadow?
Bollywood’s first stunt woman said, “I don’t judge anyone because you never know who is growing up under whose shadow. Nevertheless, I must say that the opportunities have increased. If you present yourself as a ‘no-nonsense’ person, then people will think twice before approaching you negatively. Remember that we are women and even if we are insecure, our power has not diminished. Regarding #MeToo, Reshma said that a positive change has come.
https://araventertainmenthub.com/interesting-facts-about-actor-shakti-kapoor/
Author: Sangeeta Verma
Occupation: Indian film critic and reviewer
Education: Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, Masters in Mass Communication
Career: Sangeeta Verma started her career as a freelance writer and film critic and continuing it.
