Shocking! Vicky Kaushal’s father Sham Kaushal had stomach cancer; action director opens up for the first time – Exclusive – Times of India

Sham Kaushal is one of the most influential figures in the world of stunts and action choreography in Indian films. He’s worked on such memorable projects as Dangal, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Krrish 3 and more. Today, he completes four decades in the business and looking back in an exclusive chat with ETimes, he shares his best and worst memories from a long and illustrious career. He even reveals his unfortunate tryst with cancer, a part of his life very few people know of. At one point, he even thought of taking his own life, but with divine blessings, he persevered and survived. Looking back he also recalls how he took many risks while his sons Vicky Kaushal and Sunny Kaushal were just toddlers. Read on to know more…

When did your journey in films begin?

I became a member of the stunt artist union on August 8, 1980. I have completed 42 years in this beautiful industry today on August 8, 2022.

How do you look back at your journey?

I didn’t get work immediately after becoming a member. Veeru Ji (Veeru Devgan, Ajay Devgn’s father) signed my form and helped me become a member of the union. The first film that I worked on was Ramesh Talwar’s Sawaal produced by Yash Chopra. I had shot for a sequence in Raj Kamal Studios as one of the police constables wearing the blue uniform of that era. That was my first shooting as a stuntman.

Recently, when Ali Peter John (veteran film journalist) passed away, I attended his prayer meet. There, I met Ramesh Talwar ji. I asked him to stand so that I could touch his feet. I told everyone that Ramesh ji was the first filmmaker whose film I worked in as a stunt man for the first time in my life. He was so happy to hear that. He gave me warm blessings.

How did you get your first break as an action director?

I became an action director in 1990. My first film as an action director was a Malayalam film titled Indrajalam. My first Hindi film as an action director was Prahar starring Nana Patekar. How I got my first film as an action director has a stroke of destiny. On 6th May 1990, I was shooting at Filmistan Studio, playing a dacoit. I used to stay at a chawl in Adarsh Nagar at that time. A production controller, Ravi Nair knew that I am well-versed with action work and want to venture out independently. Ravi enquired from my home where I was shooting that day and met me around 8 pm. He introduced me to Thampi Kannanthanam – the director of Indrajalam and told me that they’re shooting with actor Mohanlal ji. They wanted an action director who was new and could speak English because the director didn’t speak Hindi. The director liked me from our conversation and asked me to meet him the next day at the Sea Side Hotel. When we met, Thampi Kannanthanam told me the sequence and asked me how I would do it. I shared my views and he liked it. He instantly said, “I am happy and I am taking you as an action director. But you are not a certified action director yet so you will have to become one. I will not work with an assistant.”

I came home and told my wife that people go asking for work but I have received work without asking. I will take the risk and become an action director. Both my sons, Vicky and Sunny were young. If you want to become an action director then you have to surrender your stuntman membership and you can’t perform stunts anymore. So, there was a risk that if I didn’t get work as an action director, I would have to sit at home. I took that risk and got my action director membership card in the afternoon. I paid my respects at the Mahalakshmi Temple and reached for the shooting at Mukesh Mills at night. The previous night, I was a stuntman playing a dacoit and the next night I was working as an action director. That’s also where I met Santosh Sivan.

The sequence was such that the villain has hidden gold. And he has to run away with the gold but the police catch him. The pack-up was announced at 5 am. It’s been 32 years since then and I still remember what the director told me. He said, “Sham, today, you’ve shot the sequence where gold is being dug out. This is also the beginning of you digging gold from life”.

Whoever I worked with, wanted to repeat me on their next project. Mohanlal ji started calling me for his films. After Prahar, I started getting a lot of work in Hindi films too. There were a lot of clashes of dates. Then I worked with Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi on the TV serial Chanakya. Likewise, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has worked with only me for all of his films from Khamoshi to Gangubai Kathiawadi. It’s a big achievement for me to be able to work with one director for 25 years. I thank the people and God for everything.

After 42 years in the industry, what advice do you get from your sons?

They say, “Don’t take stress. Take it easy and enjoy your work.”

Little do people know about your life-threatening disease and your ordeal with it. Would you like to share that memory?

In September 2003, after I came back from Ladakh after completing the shoot of Lakshya, I started experiencing trouble in my stomach. The shooting of Shyam Benegal’s Netaji Subhashchandra Bose was going on and we had an off day for Diwali. I had a lot of pain in my stomach. The next day, I went to Nanavati Hospital for a check-up. I got hospitalized and they had to operate on my stomach. There were many complications. I had been to Nanavati Hospital before with an appendix problem with Nana Patekar. So, the doctors knew me and my condition.

The doctors called Nana Patekar who was shooting in Pune. Nana ji immediately left from there and came straight to the hospital. I was unconscious. There was an infection in my stomach. The doctors had cut out a piece of the stomach and sent it for tests. It was diagnosed as cancer. I was not sure whether I would survive or not. I have not shared this with anyone. I was in the hospital for 50 days. I came back to work after that. They kept testing me for a year. But luckily, the cancer did not spread. It’s been 19 years since that incident.

Who stood by you during these testing times?

Many people did, but there’s an incident I have to recall. I had signed a film which was supposed to go on floors in November. But I got hospitalized in October. I thought there’s no chance of me surviving. I had even decided that I would end my life by jumping off the third floor because I couldn’t live like that. But I could not get off the bed because my stomach had been operated on. I told God, “Please end this. I don’t have any regrets. I came from a small village and by your grace, I lived a good life. If you want to save me, don’t make me weak.” After that, I was at peace. The next day, I called someone from the production to return the signing amount of the film which was to go on floors in November.

The film’s director, who was struggling at that time, sent me a message on the phone saying, “Sir, only you will do this film and we will wait for it.” And he waited. When I came back from the hospital in December, after 50 days, the first film that I did was Anurag Kashyap’s Black Friday.

Looking back at your long journey, what are your biggest takeaways?

I will forever be indebted for this. It’s been 43 years since I came to Mumbai and 42 years since I started working in this industry, I have met only good people. I came here with nothing. All that I have got is because of this industry. People gave me an opportunity to learn and work. It’s such a good city with good people. Nobody is perfect. And if I had to look for flaws, I will look at my own. You must look at the goodness of people.