- Sanober Pardiwalla was Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's stunt double in the 2010 film Raavan
- A stunt at a 150-foot cliff-side waterfall went wrong, leaving her hanging mid-air for 30 minutes
- She emphasised the importance of staying calm and trusting safety systems during unexpected issues
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's body double, Sanober Pardiwalla, revealed that a stunt from Raavan nearly went wrong during the filming of the 2010 movie at a 150-foot cliffside waterfall location after an unexpected complication left her hanging mid-air for nearly 30 minutes.
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A stunt performed for the climax of Mani Ratnam's Raavan almost turned into a serious mishap, according to stunt performer Sanober Pardiwalla, who recently revisited the experience on social media.
Sanober, who doubled for Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the film, shared a behind-the-scenes video and spoke about a dangerous moment that occurred while filming a key cliff-jump sequence.
In the climax of the film, Aishwarya's character Ragini leaps from a high cliff into a gorge to stop her husband Dev from killing Veera. While the scene appeared effortless on screen, Sanober revealed that the shoot took an unexpected turn after a technical issue during the stunt.
Sharing the video on Instagram, she wrote, "150 feet. 3.5 seconds. One stunt I'll never forget. During this cliff jump for Raavan, an unexpected complication left me suspended mid-cliff for nearly 30 minutes."
Sanober said the incident highlighted an overlooked aspect of stunt work - dealing with situations when things do not go according to plan.
Explaining how she handled the situation, she wrote, "In stunt work, preparation isn't only about executing the stunt. It's also about what you do when the unexpected happens. Stay calm. Control your breathing. Trust the safety systems. Conserve your energy."
Recalling the tense moments, she added, "So that's what I did - suspended beside a waterfall, breathing shallow, staying completely calm... and taking in a view very few people will ever see from that perspective."
The stunt performer said remaining calm helped her navigate the ordeal. Despite the unforeseen complication, the sequence went on to gain recognition and was later nominated at the Taurus World Stunt Awards.
Looking back at the experience, Sanober concluded, "Some stunts test the body. Some test the mind. This one tested both."
Directed by Mani Ratnam, Raavan featured Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vikram, Priyamani, and Ravi Kishan in prominent roles, with music composed by AR Rahman. The film was shot simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil. While Vikram appeared in both versions, Prithviraj Sukumaran played the role portrayed by Abhishek Bachchan in the Tamil adaptation.
Released in 2010, Raavan received mixed reactions from critics and audiences. The film was also notable for bringing Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan together on screen after their marriage in 2007.
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