Renowned Stunt Master Jolly Bastian Passes Away at 53

Jolly Bastian, a renowned stunt master known for his work in over 900 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam cinema, passed away at the age of 53. The veteran stunt performer suffered a massive heart attack on Tuesday night, leading to his untimely demise.

Originally from Alleppey, Kerala, Jolly Bastian was raised in Bengaluru. He initially worked as a bike mechanic before transitioning into a successful career as a stunt master. His introduction to the film industry came when filmmaker and actor V. Ravichandran noticed him performing a stunt on a bike. Subsequently, he became Ravichandran’s stunt double and worked in many of the filmmaker’s movies.

Jolly Bastian made his directorial debut with the 2009 movie ‘Ninagaagi Kaadiruve’. He directed stunts for notable films like ‘Masterpiece,’ featuring KGF fame superstar Yash, and contributed to Duniya Vijay’s yet-to-be-released film ‘Bheema.’

His portfolio includes stunts for Malayalam films such as ‘Kannur Squad,’ ‘Angamaly Diaries,’ ‘Kammattipadam,’ and ‘Ayalum Njanum Thammil.’

The news of Jolly Bastian’s sudden demise has shocked the southern film industry, particularly in the Kannada film fraternity where he initially gained prominence. The veteran stunt master passed away while in Alappuzha for Christmas, and his mortal remains have been sent to Bengaluru for the funeral.