Mani
Ratnam"s
much
awaited
film
Raavan
released
last
week
after
a
huge
promotion.
The
film
opened
with
a
moderate
response
but
the
lead
actor
Abhishek
Bachchan,
is
already
in
the
news,
not
for
his
role
but
for
a
controversy.
MS
Balram,
a
former
national
diving
champion,
has
claimed
that
the
actor
is
lying.
He
said
that
Abhishek"s
breathtaking
dive
off
a
cliff
scene
was
done
by
him
and
not
by
the
actor
himself.
The
shot
was
used
in
the
promotions
of
the
movie
many
times
as
a
special
attraction.
The
death
defying
stunt
has
turned
out
to
be
a
source
of
trouble
for
the
filmmaker
now.
The
Bangalore-based
diving
champion
Balram
said
that
he
has
great
respect
for
Abhishek
and
Mani
Ratnam
but
at
the
same
time,
it
is
wrong
to
say
that
the
actor
did
the
stunt
himself.
The
actor
claimed
that
no
body
double
was
used.
Balram
said
that
he
is
proud
to
be
a
part
of
Raavan
and
just
wants
to
set
the
record
straight.
While
interacting
with
media,
the
junior
Bachchan
claimed,
“I
went
ahead
to
do
the
dive
scenes
myself
even
though
Mani
Ratnam
opposed
it."
An
uncomfortable
Balram
stated,
“I
am
not
here
to
create
any
controversy
or
to
attract
publicity
because
personally,
I
am
a
big
fan
of
the
Bachchans.
I
just
want
Mani
Ratnam
sir"s
movie
to
do
well.
But,
it
is
also
true
that
I
was
paid
for
doing
the
stunt
and
I
am
proud
that
I
could
do
it."
Blaram
claims
that
he
was
offered
to
do
the
stunt
in
2008
through
a
friend,
who
worked
with
Mani
Ratnam"s
team.
He
now
monitors
the
training
at
the
Kempe
Gowda
Swimming
Pool
at
Hanumanthanagar
in
Bangalore.
The
stuntman
added,
“My
brother
Bhushan
persuaded
me
to
accept
the
offer.
I
joined
the
team
at
Hoggenakkal,
where
it
was
filmed.
I
had
gone
through
many
dry
runs
before
I
gave
the
final
shot
on
December
19,
2008."
The
truth
is
best
known
by
the
team
of
Raavan
but
the
audience
must
have
enjoyed
the
excellent
diving
scene
from
a
high
cliff!