Sham Kaushal is an Indian action director and stunt coordinator. Sham Kaushal is the recipient of five Filmfare Awards (as of 2023) and has worked in films such as Krrish 3 (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2015), and Padmaavat (2018). Sham Kaushal has worked as an action director and stunt coordinator for Hollywood films such as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011) and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011).
Contents
Wiki/Biography
Sham Kaushal (also known as Shyam Kaushal) was born on 24 November in Mirzapur, Punjab, India. Their zodiac sign is Sagittarius.
Sham Kaushal when he was a small child
Sham obtained a master’s degree in English Literature from Government College, Hoshiarpur, Punjab.
Sham Kaushal is pursuing his master’s degree from Government College, Hoshiarpur.
He moved to Mumbai from Punjab and worked as a sales representative for a year.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 9″
Weight (Approx): 75 kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye colour: black
Family
parents and siblings
Sham Kaushal’s mother and father have died. His father used to be a shopkeeper. Not much is known about his siblings.
Sham Kaushal with his late mother
Sham Kaushal with his late father
wife and children
Sham Kaushal is married to Veena Kaushal. Veena is a housewife. Sham Kaushal has two sons, Vicky Kaushal and Sunny Kaushal. Both his sons are prominent actors in the Hindi film industry. Both children have also worked as assistant directors.
Sham Kaushal with his wife, sons and Katrina Kaif
religion/religious views
Sham Kaushal follows Hindu religion.
livelihood
stuntman
Sham Kaushal worked as a stuntman for seven years after his first job as a sales representative. Sham became a stuntman after meeting other stuntmen in his neighborhood. Sham became a part of the Stunt Artists Union on 8 August 1980. He became a member with the help of Veeru Devgan (Ajay Devgan’s father), who signed his membership form. Sham borrowed money. Rs 1000 from a friend to pay the membership fees. Sham Kaushal’s first film as a stuntman was Sawaal (1982), in which he performed stunts as a police constable.
A poster of the film Sawaal (1982) in which Sham Kaushal made his debut as a stuntman
In an interview, Shaam shared the story of his transformation from a stuntman to an action director.
How I got my first film as an action director was a coincidence of fate. On 6 May 1990, I was shooting at Filmistan Studio playing the role of a dacoit. At that time I was living in a chawl in Adarsh Nagar. Ravi Nair, a production controller, knew that I was well versed in action work and wanted to work independently… He introduced me to Thampi Kannanthanam… He wanted an action director who was new and spoke English. Could because the director did not speak Hindi. , The director liked me… When we met, Thampi Kannanathanam told me the sequence and asked me how I would do it. I shared my ideas and he liked it.”
30 years ago(07/05/1990) got break to work as Action Director with a Malyalam Film #Inderjalam Directed by Mr. Thampi Kanantham & staring mega star @Mohanlal & Dop @santoshsivan thanking all the wonderful people who gave me the chance to work with them during this journey. 🙏🏻🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/Fl6I41GdRo
— Sham kaushal (@shamkaushal09) May 7, 2020
Sham Kaushal used to put himself in dangerous situations to perform stunts as a stuntman. Speaking about the lack of safety measures, Sham’s son Vicky Kaushal talked about his father’s experiences in an interview,
He’s set himself on fire, he’s fallen off a 10-story building, there were no safety measures…he’s done it all. The other day, he was telling me, when he first got on a horse, he didn’t know how. But if he had not done so, he would not have been paid. He fell and fractured his hand. But he did not have money to get it treated because he needed food. So, the bone is still broken.”
Sham Kaushal performing stunts after fire
Sham Kaushal has worked as a stuntman in several other films such as Aap Ke Saath (1986) and Do Qaidi (1989).
A photograph of Sham Kaushal (right) during his stuntman days with Anil Kapoor during the shooting of the film Aap Ke Saath
action director
In 1990, Sham Kaushal got his first job as an action director in the Malayalam film “Indrajalam” (1990). The film was directed by Thampi Kannanthanam and starred Mohanlal as the lead actor.
A poster of the film Indrajalam (1990), which marked Sham Kaushal’s debut as an action director
To work as an action director, Sham Kaushal gave up his membership in the Stunt Artists Association to get his action director membership card. After that, he worked in the Bollywood film Prahaar: The Final Attack (1991), which was directed by Nana Patekar. His work in Prahar earned him the Salaam Bombay Best New Action Director award in 1991. Sham Kaushal became an action director of Bollywood films like Dhanwan (1993), Devdas (2002), Kabul Express (2006), Om Shanti Om. (2007), Quick Gun Murugan (2009), Guzaarish (2010), Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Dangal (2016), Padmavati (2018), and Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022). As of 2023, Sham Kaushal has been an action director of more than 90 Bollywood films. Sham Kaushal has worked in Malayalam cinema in films such as Nadodi (1992), Yodha (1992) and Chukkan (1994).
Sham Kaushal (far right) on the sets of the Malayalam film Yodha (1992)
In an interview, Sham Kaushal recounted how actor Mohanlal brought him back for more projects after working with him in Indrajalam (1990) and introduced him to other filmmakers.
Sham Kaushal (left) with Mohanlal on the sets of Indrajalam, where Mohanlal, impressed by Sham’s work, called him back for other projects
Sham Kaushal has also worked in the Telugu films Panja (2011) and Wild Dog (2021). Sham Kaushal has worked in the Punjab film industry in films such as Shaheed Udham Singh: Alai Ram Mohammad Singh Azad (2000), Hashar (2008), Sajjan Singh Rangrut (2018), and Ek Sandhu Hunda Si (2020).
Sham Kaushal (fourth from left, in white shirt) with his stunt team during the shooting of Ek Sandhu Hunda Si
He has also worked in Tamil cinema. Shaam was the fight choreographer for the hit film Ponniyin Selvan: Part I (2022). Sham Kaushal has worked in TV serials like Chanakya (1991) and Shaktimaan (1997). Sham Kaushal has also worked in many TV commercials. Sham Kaushal has also worked in Hollywood films such as One Night with the King (2006), where he was a stunt coordinator. He was the action director and stunt coordinator for Slumdog Millionaire (2008).
controversies
sexual harassment allegations
In 2018, during the #metoo movement, two people working in the film industry had accused Sham Kaushal of incidents of sexual misconduct. One person mentioned that during an outdoor shoot in 2006, Kaushal showed her a pornographic video on his phone. Another woman provided details of text messages which she claimed Sham Kaushal had sent her during a shoot. Sham Kaushal issued an “unreserved apology” on X (formerly known as Twitter) for any “unintentional hurt or pain” caused. Namita Prakash, an assistant director in Bollywood, shared on Facebook that during an outdoor shoot in 2006, Kaushal suggested she go to his room for vodka after work. Prakash said that she was uncomfortable with the idea and lied to Sham that she did not drink alcohol. When she protested, Kaushal allegedly showed her an obscene video on his phone. Sham Kaushal shared a statement on Twitter saying,
For as long as I have been working in this industry I have tried my best to be a good person both professionally and personally, never wishing to hurt or disrespect anyone. I have read the allegations made against me by some members of the crew. If I have inadvertently caused any pain or suffering, I apologize unreservedly to the women, the production house and every member of the film fraternity.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- Sham Kaushal won the Best New Director award from Salaam Bombay for his work in Prahar in 1991.
- Sham Kaushal won the Best Jury Award at Salaam Bombay for his work in the film Paththarila Raasta in 1994.
- Sham Kaushal won the 2006 GIFA (Global Indian Film Awards) Best Action Award for his work in the film Krrish (2006).
- Sham Kaushal won the 8th IIFA Best Action Award in 2007 for his work in the film Krrish (2006).
- Sham Kaushal won the Filmfare Award for Best Action for his work in the films Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) and Krrish (2006).
- Sham Kaushal won the Filmfare Award for Best Action Director in 2007 for his work in the film Krrish (2006).
- Sham Kaushal won the Best Art Director Award at the 2010 IIFA (11th International Indian Film Academy Awards) for his work in Kaminey (2009).
- Sham Kaushal was honored at the 19th Annual Screen Awards, 2013 for his work in the film Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).
- Sham Kaushal won the Best Action Award at the Filmfare Awards 2013 for his work in Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).
- Sham Kaushal was awarded the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Award) in 2013 for his work in the film Gangs of Wasseypur (2012).
- Sham Kaushal won the Best Action Director award at the 15th IIFA Awards in 2014.
- Sham Kaushal was honored at the Zee Cine Awards 2014 for his work in the film Dhoom 3.
- Sham Kaushal received the Filmfare Best Action Award in 2015 for his work in the film Gunday (2014).
- Sham Kaushal won the IIFA (International Indian Film Academy Awards) Award for Best Action Director in 2016 for Bajirao Mastani (2015).
Sham Kaushal posing with the Best Action Award at the International Indian Film Academy Awards
- Sham Kaushal was awarded the Zee Cine Award for Best Action Director in 2016 for Bajirao Mastani (2015).
- Sham Kaushal won the Filmfare Best Action Award in 2016 for his work in Bajirao Mastani (2015).
- Sham Kaushal won the Best Action Award at the 62nd Jio Filmfare Awards in 2017 for his work in the film Dangal (2016).
Sham Kaushal posing with the Best Action Award at the 2017 Filmfare Awards
- Sham Kaushal won the Best Action Award at the Zee Cine Awards in 2018 for his work in the film Kaabil (2017).
Sham Kaushal’s win announced at Zee Cine Awards 2018
- Sham Kaushal was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Bollywood Festival in Norway in 2022.
Sham Kaushal (right) posing with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th Bollywood Festival in Norway.
Facts/General Knowledge
- In September 2003, Sham Kaushal was diagnosed with stomach cancer. He underwent an operation and after a struggle he was freed from cancer. In an interview held in 2022, he had said,
I wasn’t sure whether I would survive or not. I have not shared this with anyone. I was in the hospital for 50 days. After that I came back to work. They kept testing me for a year. But fortunately the cancer did not spread. It has been 19 years since that incident.”
- In an interview in 2022, Sham Kaushal had revealed that he had worked as an action director in all the films of Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He said,
Sanjay Leela Bhansali has worked only with me in all his films from Khamoshi (Khamoshi: The Musical, 1996) to Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022). To be able to work with a director for 25 years is a big achievement for me.
Sham Kaushal (left) with Sanjay Leela Bhansali.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn