While shooting a scene in Singh Is Kinng on the Gold Coast, Akshay Kumar had to jet ski in deep water but realised that he would not be allowed to do so without an official license.
Producer Vipul A. Shah reveals, “It takes three days to get a jet-ski license but Akshay explained the time constraints. He did a three-day course in 12 hours. He got up at 6 am and got his license by 7 pm. He had to give a written and practical test. The action scene we have shot is one of the most expensive ones that Bollywood has ever seen and has been directed by Danny Baldwin.” Akshay laughs, “Going through a theory and practical exam was like going back to school!”
Danny Baldwin is an incredibly popular stunts coordinator in Australia with over a hundred films and television series to his credit. He is even said to have worked with Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai and Michael Douglas in The Ghost And The Darkness.
Commenting on how he was approached, Shah says, “When we went for a reccee(reconnaissance)to Australia we saw a lot of show-reels and met a lot of technicians. But we saw a clear synergy with Danny as his style of action was exactly what we needed. The beauty about the action in Singh is Kinng is that not only is it great to look at but makes the audience laugh as well.”
Reacting to rumours that the glamour action in Singh Is Kinng resembles that of Dhoom:2, Vipul adds, “It is similar only in quality. These are very high-end action sequences. Akshay had to be very careful in certain sequences, for instance, the scene in which he had to jump from one moving lift to another without supporting cables. But Akshay is Akshay! He did it with much panache and agility. Enjoy watching it in the film!”
The wait isn’t long now, as Singh Is Kinng opens on Thursday, August 7. It is an Indian Films – Studio 18 worldwide release.
