Beneath the Helmet

“I wish I had participated in this season,because the winner not only wins the golden Pulsar,but also gets to do a show in France with Jorian Ponomareff,who is every stunt rider’s idol,” beams Babar Khan,winner of the second season of the reality show,Stunt Mania Underground. Khan often goes by the moniker of ‘BOB’ or ‘Baap of Biking’ and is the proud owner of two Apaches,one Yahama and three Pulsars,including the Chrome Pulsar that he won on the show.

Khan is in the midst of performing stunts designed by the stunt director of the show,all part of the behind-the-scenes build up to the new season’s opening. “I usually check what the appropriate time required to complete the stunt should be and also check what safety measures should be provided,” explains Khan,who also owns a biking academy in Bhopal,where students are taught to perform stunts that can pave the way to reality shows and competitions across the nation. “Bilal,Maaz and Sikander are all my students who have made it to Stunt Mania Underground,” reveals Khan. “I always encourage my students to take appropriate safety measures,” he adds,pointing out that he realised the importance of wearing a helmet the hard way. He crashed and injured himself once,and ended up with 31 stitches on the head.

Stunt shows are relatively new in a country where reality shows have dominated the television scene. “I organise about 10-15 shows each month across the country. My students get a platform to perform in public and it is not that tough to get sponsors after the win,” says Khan.

The sport is expensive,as it requires proper maintenance of the bikes. VJ Ranvijay,the host of the show,minces no words when he talks about what it takes to make it. “Being a stunt rider is not easy. There is very little room for practice,but we encourage people to practice stunts in areas where there is no chance of traffic.”