Bollywood stars are typically all smiles, but the high-energy antics that have earned the adoration of millions come with a price.
Lately, it seems like a slew of injuries and ailments have afflicted Bollywood’s best and brightest. Shahrukh Khan reported experiencing terrible knee troubles at The International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Awards held in Toronto earlier this year. The pain was so severe that a scheduled dance performance had to be altered for the star’s comfort.
Soon after, it was Hrithik Roshan’s turn. Hrithik , who is renowned as one of B-town’s best dancers, also confessed to severe knee pain after some heavy duty action scenes. The star took some time off to recover.
Rajinikanth was hospitalized due to exhaustion during his shoot with Deepika Padukone, which stands postponed. John Abraham suffered severe injuries while filming his new flick Force but soldiers on despite a fractured finger.
Perhaps the biggest health related story out of Bollywood was the personal health revelation by hunky Salman Khan, who recently visited the US to treat his nerve condition Trigeminal Neuraglia after bearing the pain for seven years.
More recently, actors Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, and Rana Daggubati were all in the news after sustaining various injuries while performing stunts in their respective films. Even, the super fit Akshay Kumar has not been spared—he was taken to emergency after a dangerous fire stunt left him complaining about breathlessness.
Who’s to blame for this carnage? “The industry is to blame,” says one trainer to the stars. “ “Their bodies are under a lot of pressure, and there’s only a certain limit that the body can take it. They work out, pushing their bodies to the limit, but after a certain point the body fights back. The result is a lot of bad backs and knees. Additionally, the lifestyle doesn’t allow them to eat and sleep regularly, which only compounds the stress.”
Many Bollwood actors prefer doing their own stunts—it’s a badge of honour, but despite new techniques and technology there’s always a risk involved with stunt work.
Why do these actors undertake such rigorously strenuous roles? Part of the reason is the competition. So many up and comers are willing to do anything that no one is willing to give up any advantage.
While Bollywood shows no signs of slowing down, hopefully ctors will take notice of this rash of injuries and resolve to take better care of themselves.
