Peter Hein's Dil Se...

Born in Vietnam and settled in India, Peter Hein took to martial arts for survival and then became stunt man in movies. He wasn’t really happy about it but didn’t have any goal in life which he attributes it to lack of education. In this column titled Dil Se. Fight Master Peter Hein talks about how much he loves his wife and the most daring work he undertook that could have taken his life away. Presenting excerpts from his story in his very own words.. Dil Se

I always wanted to do different stuff in films, something complicated, playing with life though involuntarily has been my forte and perhaps my destiny. My bones have been broken in 27 places and it’s amazing that I have survived. I love my job and I will do anything to make it look real and I will fight for the story hundered percent. My wife runs a beauty parlour in Chennai. I have come up from the scratch and I share a very emotional relationship with her. And about my earnings, I give twenty five percent of my remuneration to the orphanage because I know the value of a rupee. When my son was 6 months old, I had to go for Shankar’s Mudalvan (Oke Okkadu in Telugu). I was a dupe for Arjun and supposed to burn the body. The body was to be doused with petrol. While all those scenes were being edited, I offered to run naked on the road and jump down the bridge.

I didn’t want to fool the audience with false scenes. I love my work and would do anything to convince the people. So far in the history of Indian cinema none have offered to burn themselves for a stunt scene. I was supposed to applied gel that controls heat on the body. There was no time and the gel was supposed to come from Bombay. It was two in the night. I just wanted to see my wife and child once before the shot. I came home and told her not to expect my call and I will surely buzz her when I reach the place. I lied I was going to Hyderabad. The thoughts that my angel, my wife had to live without me for the rest of her life and my son who is a baby will never remember how his father looked. These thoughts troubled my mind. It was an agonizing moment. I just kissed my son and I had tears which I couldn’t control and put on my helmet before I got on the bike.

When I was standing on the bridge, I was thinking should I or shouldn't and I fervently prayed, asked Jesus to send someone to them. I wished my wife would find someone like me who would smother her and the baby with love. Meanwhile I asked the man to put on more petrol. I didn't want to leave, I wanted to live and told Jesus that this is the last time I'm going to risk my life. This will be by last mistake. My mind went blank and I dived, came back alive. My skin got burnt and took me 10 days to recover. I didn't want my wife to get hurt so I stayed back for ten days till I thought I could manage. Even today I live in fear and I suppose it's the same with all stuntmen. I pray that all of them are blessed to carry on with life with courage and faith."

- Y Sunita Chowdhary