Director Pa Ranjith booked after stuntman’s tragic death on set

The tragic death of stuntman SM Raju during the shoot of a Pa Ranjith-directed film has led to legal action against the filmmaker and three others. The incident occurred during a stunt sequence for an upcoming film starring Arya, being shot in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam district. The shoot was organised by Neelam Productions and took a devastating turn on Sunday when Raju, while performing a car stunt, sustained fatal injuries.

Pa Ranjith and team booked after stuntman SM Raju's on-set death

Initially, authorities registered a case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act against director Pa Ranjith, stunt coordinator Rajkamal, Neelam Productions, and a team member named Prabhakaran. However, following further investigation and evidence review, the Keelaiyur police have escalated the charges. The accused have now been booked under Sections 289 (negligent conduct), 125 (abetment of an offence), and 106(1) (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) of the BNS Act.

After the accident, Raju was immediately taken to the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival. Following a postmortem, his body was returned to his family. The incident has sent ripples of grief and shock through the Indian film industry. Actor and filmmaker Prithviraj Sukumaran paid tribute via Instagram, remembering Raju as someone whose fearless work helped create cinematic magic. “Rest in peace, Raju… you will be missed forever,” he wrote.

Actor Vishal, who had worked with Raju on numerous projects, shared a heartfelt message on X (formerly Twitter). “I’ve known Raju for years. He’s pulled off so many dangerous stunts in my films. He was brave beyond words,” Vishal wrote, adding that he would extend support to the stuntman’s grieving family. Renowned stunt director Silva also mourned the loss on Instagram, calling Raju one of the finest car stunt artists and expressing how deeply his absence would be felt by the stunt community and the broader Indian film fraternity.