'Took 6-8 painkillers...just to stand': Prateik Babbar on filming 'Beintehaa'
What's the story
Prateik Babbar, the lead actor in the short film Beintehaa, recently revealed his struggle with a severe back injury during its production.
The film is part of an exclusive series by Tips Industries that reimagines iconic songs from their catalog into unique narratives.
In Beintehaa, Babbar and Elli AvrRam bring to life a reinterpreted version of Tere Dar Pe Sanam from the 1993 movie Phir Teri Kahani Yaad Aayee.
Injury impact
Babbar's back injury and role preparation for 'Beintehaa'
Babbar, who plays an underground fighter named Kabir in the film, suffered a back injury while preparing for his role.
He told Free Press Journal, "The role had been written keeping me in mind, which was incredibly encouraging, and I wanted to give my best performance for our director, Arif. As soon as I signed on, I began training to build my body and look more attractive on screen."
Injury details
'I severely injured my back, specifically my vertebrae...'
"Unfortunately, during this preparation, I severely injured my back, specifically my L2 and L5 vertebrae," he further stated.
The injury occurred in mid-December 2023, just weeks before the scheduled shoot at the end of December.
Despite not having full medical clearance by March 2024 due to his injury, they had to proceed with filming due to scheduling constraints.
From December to March, Babbar focused intensely on physiotherapy and rehabilitation while all his physical training had to stop.
Filming hurdles
Babbar's struggle with pain and filming challenges
The filming began with action sequences to minimize risks, but Babbar was constantly anxious about re-injuring his back.
Despite successfully completing all the action scenes, he experienced a relapse the next day.
"For the remaining 7 days of shooting, I pushed through intense pain, relying on medication and back support," he told the portal, adding, "Standing straight was a challenge, and the only time I found relief was when sitting."
Pain management
'I could barely stand...'
Babbar further shared, "I could barely stand. To manage; I was taking 6-8 painkillers a day continuously. It reached a point where even standing brought me to tears."
"Yet; we pushed through and completed the shoot. This experience—shooting an entire film while battling severe back pain—is something I believe people should know about."
Beintehaa, directed by Arif Khan and produced by Kumar Taurani and Girissh Kumar, is now available on the Tips Official YouTube channel.