Akshay Kumar honours brave stuntmen at an Awards show

Mar 5, 2016, 12.00 AM: Akshay Kumar’s open letter in support of stuntmen and women who are the real heroes has shaken the industry and how. To make his heartfelt appeal a reality, the superstar took an initiative to honour and felicitate stuntmen of India who have lost their lives performing risky action sequences.
“If stunt people were not there, we wouldn’t be seen as heroes. So many awards nights are hosted in India and all over the world, but stunt people never walk away with a trophy. We come on screen and portray heroism, which is fake, while they remain unsung heroes,” says the actor. The first stuntman to be felicitated is Raju, who lost his life during the shooting of Akshay’s film ‘Jaanwaar’ (1999). The actor personally gave a cheque of Rs 11 lakh to Raju’s family. His wife, two kids and his brother, Mehboob, accepted the award. This will be showcased at the Lux Zee Cine Awards 2016 (ZCA), which premieres today on Zee Cinema at 7 pm.
A special award has also been instituted on ZCA 2016 called ‘The Stunt Person of the Year Award’. Akshay announced the nominees and the first winner is Amit Grover for his bike stunt in ‘Shamitabh’. Since Amit was out of town, Akshay will personally present the award to him. Talking about this initiative, the actor says, “Award shows should not have a special category, but a ‘must’ category to honour them.” Akshay will be present at this awards show annually to honour the most deserved stuntmen.