The Indian daredevils who feel at home in the Well of Death | Aeon Videos

"A staple of rural Indian festivals for decades, the Well of Death features motorcyclists - and the occasional car driver - performing death-defying stunts while circling 18-metre-high walls. In Gladiators on Wheels, the British Indian filmmaker and photographer Souvid Datta captures stunt performers in the state of West Bengal as they discuss how thrills, freedom, camaraderie and unconventional life paths have drawn them to this work."

"In Gladiators on Wheels, the British Indian filmmaker and photographer Souvid Datta captures stunt performers in the state of West Bengal as they discuss how thrills, freedom, camaraderie and unconventional life paths have drawn them to this work. They also address the genuine dangers involved, including their injuries and the deaths of friends, as well as how competition from smartphones has diminished the popularity of the act, leaving the performers' future uncertain."

A staple of rural Indian festivals for decades, the Well of Death features motorcyclists and occasional car drivers performing death-defying stunts while circling 18-metre-high walls. Stunt performers in West Bengal cite thrills, freedom, camaraderie and unconventional life paths as motivations for taking on the act. Performers face genuine dangers, including frequent injuries and the deaths of friends. Competition from smartphones and changing audience habits has diminished the act's popularity. The reduced audiences have left many performers' futures uncertain. Performances are accompanied by the guttural, thunderous roar of engines, creating an immersive spectacle.

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