Akshay Kumar’s New Brainchild: An Insurance Scheme for Stuntmen, Stuntwomen

Akshay has always maintained that he is a “stuntman first and then an actor”. “He strongly believes that stuntmen work very hard and take life-threatening risks, so it’s high time they got insured. It’s only going to motivate stuntmen to be more passionate about their work,” says the source. The insurance scheme is going to cover 380 stuntmen and women between 18 and 55 years of age. Ejaz Gulab, the general secretary of Movie Stunt Artist Association, says Akshay has “somehow made the impossible possible”.

“Over the years, we had approached a number of producers and insurance companies, but they didn’t agree to provide insurance to us. It was very demoralising, but we don’t know what magic wand Akshayji has used. We can’t thank him enough, as it has come as great news for us,” he says.

As per the policy, in case of hospitalisation due to any physical injury or accident while doing stunts, a stuntman will be covered for Rs six lakh at about 4,000 hospitals through a cashless system. “Even if they get into a hospital that’s not a part of the network, they can still avail of the benefit through reimbursements,” says the source. And in case of death, there’s a provision of Rs 10 lakh, which will be given to whoever the stuntman chooses as their nominee.

Gulab feels that it [the insurance] should have happened long ago. “Stuntmen are also human beings and they also have families. If they are insured, they can also be more confident and put in their best without holding themselves back. This scheme is only going to motivate them further,” says a source.

Despite repeated attempts, Akshay couldn’t be reached for a comment, but sources close to the actor insist that he feels he has earned a lot of money and respect in people’s eyes, and it’s now time for him to “give back in whatever way” he can. “It’s a huge move for stuntmen, as they are taking risks on a daily basis,” says the source.