‘We Work And The Hero Takes The Credit… That’s How It Works’

‘We Work And The Hero Takes The Credit… That’s How It Works’

: While the hero beats the villain to a pulp on screen,the fight master choreographing the daring stunts behind the scenes goes unnoticed.Providing the much-needed action masala to the audiences, Ollywoodtoo boasts of a few such fight masters, with Judo Ramu among the top ones. Wellknown in the industry as Rama Anna or Judo Bhai, his real name is Rama Murthy. Hailing from Chennai, Ramafollowed his father and guru Judo Ratnam to the film industry. In a career spanning over four decades, Rama has more than 400 films to his credit in languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and, of course, Odia. This 60-year-old fight master has worked for more than 100 Odia films. Currently, he is busy directing the action sequences of five Ollywood ventures including ‘Chhabirani’ and ‘Ajab Sanju Ra Ghajab Prema’.

As part of its series ‘Legends of Ollywood’, My City Links caught up with the veteran fight master for a freewheeling chat. Here’s Judo Ramu unplugged:Your Father, Judo Ratnam, Was Also A Fight Master. Is That The Reason You Joined This Profession? Tell Us About Your Debut Odia Film.

My father was one of the finest fight masters in the country. He had worked in 74 movies with superstar Rajinikanth and also in many Hindi films including ‘Andha Kanoon’, ‘Akhri Rasta’ and ‘Gangua’. My father was also the fight master for 15 Odia films including ‘Paka Kambala Pota Chata’.

I was 24 years old when I left my studies and began assisting my father. I worked with him in several hit Hindi films like ‘Giraftar’, ‘Mohabbat’ and ‘John Jani Janardan’.

In 1995, director Rabi Kinagi, producer Subash Rout and cameraman Samba came to meet me in Chennai and asked me to be the action director in their forthcoming movie. ‘Suna Panjuri’ was my first Odia film as an individual action director.

Did Ollywood Help Your Career Graph?

Of course, it did. My second Odia film, ‘Pua Mora Bhola Shankara’, with director Hara Pattnaik was a milestone. Both Rabi Kinagi and Hara Pattnaik have been like two pillars to my successful journey in Ollywood. My stint in Odia films got noticed by Bengali directors and they likewise offered me work in their films. Therefore, Odisha has been like my bread and butter. I go to other places as a professional fight master, but when I come to Odisha, I feel like it is my own home.Being A Tamilian, How Do You Manage To Communicate With Odia Artists?

I began my career assisting my father in more than 25 Hindi films. So I was quite acquainted with the Hindi language and this helped me to communicate with Odia and Bengali artists.

Tell Us Something About Your Family.

My father has two wives and so we have a big family. We are three brothers and five sisters with me being the eldest. I have one son and one daughter who are now married and well settled.Are There Any Memorable Experiences With Mainstream Odia Actors That You Would Like To Share?

There are a lot of pleasant experiences with the people that I have worked with. For instance, Siddhant Mohapatra is very punctual. I have worked with him in so many films and never seen him coming late for a shoot. I am again working with him in Babi Ishlam’s directorial venture ‘Chhabirani’ and he still maintains his punctuality, I must say.

While we were shooting for the Sudhansu Sahu directed film, ‘Sahara Jaluchi’, an action scene required Siddhant to jump with a bike. He fell down and injured himself, but insisted on resuming the shoot within two hours.

In the film ‘I Love You’, we projected Anubhav Mohanty very well and received huge appreciation. I am going to work with Anubhav in his next film as well. I have also been the fight master in almost all the movies starring Babushan Mohanty, including his forthcoming film, ‘Ajab Sanju Ra Ghajab Prema’.

Do You Ever Feel Disheartened When The Lead Actor Gets All The Credit For Daring Stunts While You Sweat Behind The Scenes Making Them Look Like Superheroes On Screen?

No, never. We will work and the hero will take the credit. That is how it works. So, there is nothing to be sorry about that.Have You Ever Met With Any Serious Accident While Performing A Stunt?

In 1982,a particular scene in a Rajinikanthfilm required me to jump from a moving train. I met with an accident while doing the scene. Luckily, I escaped with minor injuries. My mom used to plead with my father not to perform dangerous stunts and my wife requests me likewise. But then, it is our profession and we have no option other than doing them. Of course, money matters, but fame is something else; it always boosts us to work in this field.

What Do You Have To Say On Unnatural Action Sequences, Especially In South Indian Films?

The introduction scene of Rajinikanth in the film ‘Giraftar’ saw him lighting a cigarette by firing at it with a pistol.It was designed by my father. Such scenes leave a special impression on the audience. When a hero fights 10 people singlehandedly,it obviously looks unnatural. But we have to give in to the demands of the director, who usually wishes to highlight the hero that way. These days, the audience has become smarter and so there is need for more natural action scenes.Which Was The Period When There Was A Huge Demand For Action Scenes In Odia Films?

I feel there was a huge demand for action in Ollywood films from 2000 to 2008. Back then, I used to jump from buildings without a cable. But today, we have more safety options. Sometimes I feel that has led to the loss of essence somewhere. Scenes demand action, but action does not demand a scene. An action scene can only be shot with the script and the story.

Which Odia Film Made You Toil Extremely Hard?

In 1999, I was shooting for ‘Rakata Chinhichi Nijara Kie’ with Siddhant and Mihir Das. I remember we had created some new stunts for the first time in Ollywood for this film. There were bike stunts and falling from ships among others. That was one film in which I worked very hard and it continues to be one of my favourites. You must have seen the famous song ‘Ye dosti hum nahi chhodenge’from ‘Sholay’. There was a special type of bike that Amitabh was riding and Dharmendra was sitting in a side carriage. Siddhant and Mihir rode a similar type of bike during an action scene in ‘Rakata Chinhichi Nijara Kie’.Are There Any Female Fight Masters In India? And Are There Any Professional Training Centres For Stuntmen In The Country?

There are no female fight masters in India. There are some private stunt training centresin Chennai. However,there are no government-run training institutes for stunts in the country. This is a very risky job and so it attracts less people.

What Is Your Suggestion To Aspiring Stuntmen?

In this profession,there is no guarantee of getting work. Even I had to sit at home for four months without any work. There are 600 members in our union, but only 100 of them get work. The rest have to sit idle for most of the time. Plus, there is always a risk to your life. We do not have any life insurance unlike circus performers. That is why I asked my son to not opt for this line of work.