When Johansson gets punched in the face, Heidi Moneymaker takes the hit. When Elizabeth Olsen crashes through a window, it’s C.C. Ice who ends up with scratches. Hollywood’s most unsung behind-the-scenes heroes star in a Hollywood Reporter photo portfolio. Meet the Stuntwomen who help stars kickass.
Aditya Sarpotdar’s film about Reshma Pathan, the woman who performed Hema Malini’s stunts in Ramesh Sippy’s classic will be out on Zee5 on March 8, 2019. Pathan has also worked as a body double in the 1970s and ’80s, but like most stuntwoman in her profession, her contribution to the industry has remained behind the scenes.
The Bumblebee stunt team showed up for rehearsals for the latest in the Transformers movie franchise. They were preparing to film the stunt. The rehearsal that day involved 11 stunt drivers and 3 passengers – all men. One of the drivers was told to wear a wig to double for a woman. There was no female stunt drivers included.
In 1985, I made a transition from martial arts and kickboxing to a full time career as a stuntwoman. In 1982, I had moved from Pensacola, Florida to Los Angeles, California for several reasons. One, my sanctioning body, the WKA (World Karate Association) based out of Westminster, CA was working hard to promote me as a fighter.
Remember the famous scene in Sholay where Hema Malini shouts “Chal Dhanno!” as she is chased by Gabbar Singh’s men? While the audience rooted for the actor, the real hero of that iconic action sequence was stuntwoman Reshma Pathan who rode the speeding cart. She has spent 3 decades as body double to Bollywood’s leading ladies.
