By Prashant K. Nanda, IANS

After decades of working in the shadows to make the heroes of Bollywood look dashing and adventurous on screen, India's stunt performers want to have their place in the sun.

The Stuntmen's Association of India - the nodal body for over 500 men and women who work in the movies - has been pushing producers to raise their wages by 25 percent and wants special awards and insurance schemes.

"We don't hesitate to take risks but the rewards should match these risks," said Rashid Mehta, president of the association. "We never get what we deserve," the veteran stuntman told IANS.

"For the past three years, we have been pushing hard for a revision of our wages but to no avail. There is no insurance, no hike in wages, no attention and no awards for us," he said.

In Bollywood, stunt performers do not have a long working life.

After working for about seven years, they usually retire since their body no longer allows them to take the pressure and risks associated with the dangerous stunts they perform.

"Yes, generally one can actively work for six to seven years. After that you need to retire or remain as a C-grade stuntman," Mehta said.

"We are in touch with some insurance companies but nothing has been confirmed yet. The premiums they want are high in comparison to our income."

In case of an incident, only luck can save them.

Stuntman Habib recounted: "My father died while shooting as a double for Anil Kapoor. The scene required him to be in a car that was to sink in water. Due to some problem, the car's door did not open and he died.

"To keep my father's name alive, I am working but who knows what will happen to us? Here one needs some financial backing for the family," Habib said.

"One of my friends is currently sitting at home without work after getting injured while performing a stunt."

Speaking about his experience, stunt director Kaushal said: "We don't shy away from taking risks, but there should be something to back us in our bad times. At the least, insurance is what we expect from the film industry."

For stunt director Moses, it's the lack of organisation in the sector that hurts the profession. "There is no organised force, no public lobby for these daily wage earners."

In spite of action sequences being an integral part of almost every Bollywood movie, the money allocated for stuntmen and their sequences is just about one to two percent of the total budget for a film.

Generally a well-known male stuntman gets between Rs.1,500 and Rs.2,000 a day depending on the kind of risks he has to take. This is nothing, say stuntmen, compared to what their counterparts in Hollywood earn.

"In Hollywood, they get the script in advance and the stunt director has a say in the action. They take the help of storyboards and get time to rehearse stunts," explained Kaushal.

In Bollywood, the safety measures are often inadequate.

"For a fall sequence, we still have to put mattresses on the floor. But if a stuntman is falling from the 10th floor, there is always a big risk of his landing somewhere else," said Kaushal.

"Even though ambulances and fire extinguishers are available on the sets, they cannot save someone from a grave injury," he pointed out.

Asked about not getting enough recognition, Habib said: "We are not distracted by this, but at times it affects us. There is not a single award for us. We are helpless."