Stunt community mourns tragic death of S M Raju on Tamil film set

The Indian stunt community is mourning the sudden death of veteran stuntman S M Raju (real name Mohan Raj), who tragically passed away while performing a high-risk car stunt on the set of director Pa Ranjith’s upcoming film Vettuvam in Nagapattinam on July 13.

Despite the crew rushing him to Nagapattinam Hospital, he couldn’t be saved

The 52-year-old stuntman, renowned for his daring car stunts, reportedly collapsed behind the wheel of an SUV during a high-octane action sequence. Crew members on set rushed to pull him out of the vehicle and took him to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. A video of the incident, which shows frantic attempts to rescue him, has since gone viral on social media.

Stunt work in the film industry is always fraught with risk. Stunt directors and artists that car stunts are particularly dangerous and unpredictable, even with strict safety measures in place.

Veteran stunt director Sham Kaushal, known for films like Dunki, Gadar 2, Bajirao Mastani, and Gangs of Wasseypur, expressed his grief, stating, “Stunt performers are a close-knit fraternity. When you do a stunt with a car, it’s a combination of human skill and machine and even a slight misjudgment can prove fatal.”

Aejaz Gulab, general secretary of the Movie Stunt Artists Association, also spoke on the tragedy, saying, “S M Raju was known for his expertise in high-risk car stunts. Despite all precautions, these stunts carry significant risks. His death is deeply unfortunate.”

The association, founded in 1959, represents around 600 members from the Indian stunt community. Shankar, a stuntman who suffered severe burns during a car stunt on the set of Chennai Express, recalled working with Raju on two South Indian films two decades ago.

“He was like a brother. It’s heartbreaking. Car stunts are the most dangerous; they require daring and peak physical fitness,” Shankar said. Despite past injuries, Shankar continues to perform car stunts in films like Total Dhamaal and for music videos.

Veteran stuntman and director Ram Shetty, who has over 50 years of experience with films like Yaadon Ki Baarat and Vaastav, said, “Incidents like this are deeply saddening. Many take up this line of work due to financial necessity, even though it’s extremely risky.”

Stunt director Parvez Shaikh, known for coordinating some of Bollywood’s biggest action scenes, called the incident “very upsetting,” pointing out that while such accidents are rare, they do happen despite the best safety protocols.

Arvind Gupta, a stunt artist with credits in films like Maalik and Adipurush, echoed the sentiment, adding, “Many of us join this profession for monetary reasons, fully aware of the risks involved.”

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