Stuntman Yannick Ben talks about Samantha, fights in ‘Yashoda’ and more

Hollywood stuntman Yannick Ben has worked on a number of Indian movies in the past. But never has he gone by the star cast. He goes by the script and the demands made by it on him. He serves up action choreography in an apt way thereafter. That explains why he has been sought after in Bollywood and now down South. After working with Samantha Ruth Prabhu on ‘The Family Man 2’, the talent teamed up with her on ‘Yashoda’. He and Venkat Master have choreographed fights separately for the survival thriller, which hits the screens this November 11.

In this interview, the stuntman talks about working with Samantha, doing stunts for the film, and more. 

Highlights:

I go by the story and its elements while opting for a project. The world and characters of ‘Yashoda’ excited me. 

Since I and Samantha shared an absolutely great working relationship on the sets of our previous venture, I was looking forward to working with her. She is highly dedicated. She wants to give her best in action sequences. I hope I get to work with her again.

I am well-versed in martial arts, parkour and other forms of stunts. I do incorporate parkour when needed by the script. But when it comes to purely action, my style is a mix of all the martial arts I have trained in Aikido, kickboxing Mixed Martial Arts. I don’t prefer my action scenes to be bombastic for the sake of it. The fights are designed keeping in mind the requirements of the script. 

I don’t differentiate between female and male actors. It’s about dedication. Samantha shows the intent to be prepared in advance. We got for a trial fight or pre-visualization. Post that, I check with Samantha if she is comfortable with every move. Such preparation is necessary when you are doing a film like ‘Yashoda’. 

It did help matters that Samantha had done action in ‘The Family Man 2’. During the making of that web series, she trained in boxing and kickboxing. She has a strong memory of that training and had her basics in place in terms of how to move and how to work with me. 

In ‘Yashoda’, the fights had to be designed for a pregnant character. The moves had to be incorporated accordingly. The character has also got an emotional angle. I had to ensure that at every given step and move she moves like a mother who is concerned about the baby that is growing inside her. Also, this is the first pregnant character I had to choreograph stunts for. 

Since the female protagonist is a pregnant woman, there is more tension in the fights. The build-up is different from the usual action scenes because there is an angle of physical limitation here. It helped that Samantha comes with tonnes of energy and really positive aggression.

I go the extra mile to ensure safety. The safety gear and rigging are always standard. So I ensure that they are well practised and know the choreography like the back of their hands. It’s okay for actors to make mistakes. I had full support from producers to the directors and the Director of Photography to ensure that there was no compromise on quality.