Mira Road: Ex-Bollywood stuntman fined for viral scooter stunt video

Screengrab of the viral video showing Shaikh performing stunts. Pic/Diwakar Sharma

A 42-year-old former Bollywood stuntman, Ibrahim Shaikh, has been booked for rash driving and fined Rs 2,000 by the Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police for performing a dangerous ‘switchback' stunt on his recently purchased scooter earlier this month on a busy stretch of Mira Road. The MBVV police took action after Shaikh's stunt video went viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism and raising concerns about road safety. Sources in Kashimira traffic division confirmed a case had been registered against Shaikh.

Ibrahim Shaikh

"A video that went viral on social media showed a scooter rider recklessly performing stunts. The rider was sitting backwards on the scooter without wearing a helmet," said a police officer from Kashimira traffic division. "With the help of technical evidence, we identified the stuntman as Ibrahim Naseem Shaikh, a resident of the Naya Nagar area of Mira Road," the officer added.

The traffic police filed a suo motu FIR at the Naya Nagar police station under Section 281 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 129 and 184 of the Motor Vehicles Act. "The accused, along with the scooter, has been handed over to police for further legal action," the officer stated. When contacted, Shaikh revealed that he had worked as a stunt man in Bollywood for 24 years and performed the stunt "just for fun" on a back road in Mira Road.

Screengrab of the viral video showing Shaikh performing stunts

"I performed multiple stunts in Bollywood films but left the industry in 2015 after an accident in Manali that injured my knee," said Shaikh, who now takes up odd jobs to support his household. Shaikh shared that he learned stunt riding as a teenager. "I mastered BMX freestyle stunts when I was young and practised daily at Marine Drive. Later, I turned my hobby into a profession and performed stunts for Bollywood, including Dhoom, ads, and TV serials."

Speaking about the viral stunt, Shaikh said, "The trick is called a switchback, typically performed on motorbikes due to the sitting support they provide. Since I'm a trained stuntman, I managed to perform it on a scooter without support." He added a cautionary note: "I'm a trained professional, so I would request people not to attempt such stunts on busy roads."