00:00This is the well of death, where gravity bends and fear is part of the show.
00:06My life runs through this. It's my passion and it gives me an income.
00:11A woman in a man's arena.
00:15A woman's life is more than cooking, childcare and housework.
00:19In today's world, being self-reliant is essential.
00:23Riding inches from death.
00:25No one is truly safe. If death is destined, it'll find you.
00:30Now she risks her life in India's fading fairgrounds, where the danger is the draw.
00:37It's never enough for the crowd, even if you chop your head off.
00:41It's a risky game and Rohana Khan is playing to win.
00:58A small town fair in India is a burst of colour, noise and movement.
01:04Joyrides spinning, loudspeakers blaring, stalls packed with sweets and wares.
01:10For a few days, the quiet town square turns into a carnival of chaos and celebration,
01:16as the fair passes through on its tour.
01:23Here, a tall cylindrical canopy stands out, drawing the biggest crowds.
01:29This is the mother of all fairground thrills, the well of death.
01:36Fairgoers of all ages flock inside to get a glimpse, their buzz of excitement matched by the revving of engines.
01:50They've come to watch one particular stuntwoman, Rohana Khan, one of the fair's biggest crowd pullers.
02:00Rohana has made a name for herself as a rare woman stunt driver.
02:05Travelling the country's stunning spectators has become a cornerstone of her life.
02:20By now, she's most at home when ripping through her dizzying displays in the well.
02:32My name is Rayana Khan. I'm from ETA district in Uttar Pradesh.
02:40I've been performing motorcycle stunts in the well of death for the past 12 to 13 years.
02:47In a country where women are often expected to stay within traditional roles, Rohana chose a different road.
02:55A woman's life is more than cooking, childcare and housework. There's much more to a woman's life.
03:04I always wanted to do more, scale new heights, enjoy fame and choose my own career.
03:12What began as curiosity as a spectator soon grew into passion.
03:17When I first watched it, it felt dangerous. I kept wondering, aren't these stuntmen scared?
03:24How is the bike even able to move like that on a vertical track? It seemed incredibly difficult.
03:31Then a question struck me. Could I ever do this?
03:34I started asking around about how to learn the stunt. Everyone told me the same thing.
03:39It's not easy, especially in the beginning. It's risky and it takes time. But a spark had been lit.
03:49It slowly turned into a passion and I knew I wanted to try it for myself.
03:53I knew I wanted to try it for myself.
03:58Rohana faced stigma from her conservative Muslim family for daring to dream differently.
04:04She got married. A year later she had a son, but her dream only intensified.
04:09What once felt distant became a devotion she refused to abandon.
04:14But her parents and in-laws resisted. Women working in public was unheard of, let alone performing bike stunts.
04:25In the beginning, no one, neither my husband nor my family, wanted me to join a profession like this.
04:33Everyone said no to me doing this job.
04:37My son was also very young, so it was difficult to look after him and do this work at the
04:43same time.
04:45It was full of tension and stress to do both. I didn't know how to manage both.
04:52Then her husband, Riaz Khan, decided to stand by her.
04:57If a life partner is not supportive, it's very difficult for a woman to enter any profession.
05:04Their support is paramount. Without family support, you cannot do much.
05:09My husband supported me and encouraged me to hone my craft.
05:13I would have never reached this stage without him.
05:18For six or seven years, he looked after our child.
05:22Just as a mother is often the primary caregiver, he fulfilled that role.
05:27He stayed at home and took care of our child while I was at work.
05:42When I first rode up the Wells Wall on a bike, I lost balance.
05:47My technique was wrong and the bike fell.
05:52My husband and my trainer rushed in and picked it up.
05:55They told me to ride normally. Don't be afraid.
06:00Ride it the way you would on a regular road.
06:02Don't get anxious and nothing will go wrong.
06:08I tried again, keeping their words in mind.
06:11But inside, I was still anxious.
06:15I would tremble, thinking I might not be able to do it.
06:18Slowly, with each attempt, the fear began to fade.
06:21And before I knew it, what once terrified me had started to feel like second nature.
06:32Risking her life is now part of her daily routine.
06:35Today, she tours the country with her husband beside her
06:39and has emerged as a major attraction, particularly among women audiences.
06:46In India, I've been to Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Odisha, West Bengal and many other states.
06:55In new places, we don't understand their language.
06:59I speak Hindi, but they speak a different language.
07:02In Chennai, they don't speak Hindi.
07:05One thing I do know is that they appreciate us a lot,
07:07though I don't know exactly what they say.
07:12They also tip generously and appreciate how a woman is doing all this.
07:20A common, traditional part of this spectacle is viewers dangling money for the riders as a sign of appreciation.
07:30In a small circular arena, three motorcycles and a car rotate at high speed.
07:36At times, they sit on one side of the vehicle.
07:39At others, they ride without their hands on the handlebars.
07:43Their bodies lean, bend and perform acrobatics while maintaining perfect balance.
07:49When spectators hold out currency notes and appreciation,
07:52they collect them with remarkable precision,
07:55without losing control of their vehicles.
08:01It's incredible how they ride up to take the money, drop back down and keep going.
08:09It's mostly an underpaid role, marked by inconsistent earnings.
08:14Rahana earns a paltry 2,000 rupees or around 18 euros a day.
08:20But the well owners often fail to break even, affecting her income.
08:25Sometimes there are heavy losses, sometimes profits.
08:29There are constant ups and downs.
08:31The fares don't run at the same pace every year.
08:34Sometimes the response is slow, sometimes high, sometimes very high.
08:39This time, the response here is very slow.
08:43As it's an informal job, Rahana worries about the uncertainty that comes with it.
08:50The economic situation can get worse.
08:53If suddenly the work is shut down, then it gets very difficult for us to make ends meet.
09:01Time is running out for these artists who are slowly being edged out by more modern forms of entertainment.
09:07Mohamed Hasnain has been driving in the well of death for two decades.
09:16The biggest thing is that our livelihoods are tied to this.
09:20Through this well alone, around 30 to 35 families run their households.
09:25This is an art.
09:26We have not invested any capital, only our hard work.
09:30We have applied our minds and shown our courage, honing this talent.
09:34For the public, even if we risk our lives, they still think it's not enough.
09:41He's now frustrated about the job's lack of financial safety nets.
09:48If people ask for my advice on entering this field, I would tell them 100% do not join it.
09:57Do any other work, even labour, but not this, because it does not pay enough.
10:08I also want to leave it now and start a business, as my children are growing and their education costs
10:15keep increasing every single day.
10:20Tara Kumari is a young apprentice taking up stunt driving out of poverty rather than passion.
10:26She hopes the salary will cover her younger siblings' education and help with household costs.
10:34I do it because I must.
10:36What's your home situation?
10:43Tara needs to learn more stunts but is scared of accidents.
10:48I used to feel dizzy all the time.
10:51Has it become a habit?
10:53Yes, it's a habit now.
10:55There are bricks on the ground.
10:56I'm scared.
11:01You fear falling and getting hurt?
11:03Yes.
11:04Have you seen any accidents?
11:09Yes, I have.
11:10Except for one person.
11:12Everyone's had a fall.
11:16I'm scared.
11:19Rihanna prefers to drive without a helmet, as it increases visibility.
11:27Without a helmet, it's easier to look behind and to the sides, to move my neck freely.
11:33Judge how far someone is behind me, when to switch sides, and how to overtake.
11:38With a helmet, it's harder to work and not comfortable.
11:43She has bought health and life insurance for herself, which is not the norm for stunt drivers.
11:49But why risk her life?
11:52If death is written in someone's destiny, even a person simply walking on the road is not safe.
11:59If it's meant to happen, it'll happen, anywhere.
12:03And this, as you know, is the well of death.
12:07People are not safe anywhere.
12:10When your end arrives, no one can stop it, whether you're in the well, at home, or on the road.
12:19It is a game with death, and Rihanna's playing it relentlessly, and as long as she possibly can.
12:27POP!
12:30It's a game with death.
12:31You can't wait for it.
12:32Let me see.
12:32You can also see the push back.
12:32But I'm letting the push back.
12:34You
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