Sometimes to fill plot holes in a story or sometimes by unwittingly accepting popular misconceptions, Hollywood and Bollywood movies have given rise to many myths which are not grounded in reality. Here are a few very popular ones that have persisted forlong. Asteroid belts are dense and crowded In almost all space fantasy movies, asteroid belts are shown as a being very dense and crowded with rocks and meteoroids and a spaceship pilot have to take sharp turns and complex maneuvers to avoid them. In reality, there are many miles of vacuum between asteroids and all those fancy maneuvers are seldom necessary. Pulling grenade pins with teeth We have seen this in innumerable action movies – the actor will pull the pin of a grenade with his teeth and throw it. In real life, no one does that. Pulling the pin with your finger is the standard practice in ALL the armed forces of the world. So, what happens if someone pulls the pin with their teeth? Let’s just say that there is a strong possibility that the person would have no teeth afterward but the grenade will still have its pin. Chloroform instantly knocks you out In movies, a kidnapper will douse a handkerchief with chloroform, press it against the face of his victim and the victim would become senseless instantly. This is hardly the case. It takes up to five minutes for the chemical to take effect. Once subdued, the effect of chloroform would last only for a short period of time. Wait 24 hours before filing a missing person report There are movies that have done it only because that becomes the plot point – “the police can’t help us, we are on our own”. This is absolutely not true. If you suspect someone has been kidnapped or has gone missing, you can and should go to the police immediately and file a missing person report. Breaking locks with guns Many a times when an actor doesn’t have a key to a lock, they would simply take their pistol and shoot the lock which promptly breaks open. Locks in real life are a bit more stubborn. A padlock shackle is thick iron made and a small bullet will not be enough to break it. Shooting two guns Aiming and hitting a target consistently even with a single gun takes years of practice. Now imagine having two guns in your hands and shooting them without being able to aim at anything. You will look cool but will be a terrible shot. But then it’s a movie, and most of the time that’s exactly what they are aiming for.
