Reality gone tragically wrong
Man dies in game show stunt
Saturday, August 29, 2009
By Gibran Peshimam
Karachi
The tragic death of a contestant in a Pakistani reality game show while performing a stunt has left his near and dear ones with many unanswered questions. Thirty-two-year-old Saad Khan’s death on the set of the show in Thailand, where it was being shot, is being termed a mishap, but the stark ‘reality’ of this show is that a 28-year-old woman has been widowed and four minor children - the oldest aged seven, twins aged five, and the youngest aged two – are left without a father.
His death has raised many questions regarding the safety arrangements on the set and cast a dark cloud over the performance of the show’s production staff. While the autopsy report has confirmed drowning as the cause of death, Thai authorities are conducting a detailed inquiry into the incident.
According to information available from Unilever, the multinational company that was sponsoring the show, Khan was performing a stunt (that was a part of the show), which required him to cover the length of a pond with a seven kilogramme backpack on.
Something went drastically wrong when Khan was in the middle of the stunt. He suddenly turned on his back into a backstroke swimming style, and then, less than a minute later yelled for help. People reportedly began shouting at Khan to remove the backpack, but it was too late – Khan had begun to sink.
It is here that the questions arise regarding safety measures and the vigilance on the part of the on set rescue staff. A spokesperson for Unilever refuted reports that no help came for Khan for up to six minutes while he was underwater, stating categorically that people around jumped into the pond to help Khan straightaway, but, given the murky water, could not find him. Professional divers were called in, who then recovered Khan’s body half an hour later.
The spokesperson claimed that all contestants were given lifejackets, but refused them.
However, Babar Jumani, a close friend of Khan’s told The News said that those near and dear to the deceased did not buy the explanation being given by the multinational. “We are trying to find the truth. The story we have been told does not make sense,” he said. The direct family of the deceased could not be reached despite attempts by The News.
The multinational claimed the other participants performing the same stunt before Khan had pulled themselves along the pond with a rope attached to side instead of swimming the length. It was also said that the stunt had been tested by experts with a 12-kg backpack.
Scattered reports, some appearing on the internet, had it that no help came for up to six minutes for Khan, who had reportedly pulled a muscle due to the weight tied to him, because of which he could not resurface.
The incident occurred on the 10th episode of a 13-part show. Khan had already been eliminated earlier, but had returned as a ‘challenger’ to the three remaining finalists. Khan’s appearance was meant to be a ‘surprise’.
The multinational also stressed that the sponsoring company had no input as far as the stunts etc. went, and the show was handed to an external media and communication company, who had, in turn, hired the top names in the reality show business – including an Indian director/producer that had worked on major projects of this nature in India.
According to reports, the media and communication company in question, which operates in at least 67 countries, handles almost all of the multinational company’s media campaigns.
The current status of the incident is unclear. The multinational says that it is in contact with the aggrieved family.
“We are after the truth,” said Jumani. “We need answers to our questions. So far we have not got those,” he continued, adding, “At this point there is no story to tell. We will get them by their necks. We want to know what happened to our friend.”