Stuntman SM Raju Dies in Tragic On-Set Accident During Filming of Pa Ranjith’s ‘Vettuvan’
Veteran Tamil film stuntman SM Raju tragically lost his life on Sunday morning in a high-speed car stunt gone wrong during the filming of director Pa Ranjith’s upcoming movie Vettuvan, starring Arya. The fatal accident occurred in Tamil Nadu during the shoot of a car toppling sequence.
Disturbing footage from the set shows Raju driving a speeding car, which then flips and crashes violently. Crew members rushed to the wreckage and attempted to rescue him, only to discover he had died on impact. What was meant to be a controlled action scene ended in an unforeseen and heartbreaking tragedy, casting a pall over the production.
Actor Vishal, who had collaborated with Raju on numerous projects, confirmed the heartbreaking news via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). In an emotional message, Vishal wrote, “So difficult to digest the fact that stunt artist Raju passed away while doing a car toppling sequence. I have known Raju for years, and he has performed many daring stunts in my films. He was fearless and dedicated. My deepest condolences to his family—may his soul rest in peace.”
Vishal also promised long-term support for Raju’s grieving family, stating, “This isn’t just a tweet—I will be there for his family’s future. He was a valuable part of our industry.”
Popular stunt choreographer Stunt Silva also paid tribute on Instagram, writing, “One of our great car jumping stunt artists, SM Raju, died today while doing car stunts. Our stunt union and the Indian film industry will deeply miss him.”
SM Raju was widely respected in the Tamil film industry for his bold and expertly executed action sequences, contributing to numerous films over the years.
As of now, neither lead actor Arya nor director Pa Ranjith has issued an official statement. Vettuvan is said to be in the final stages of production and features a star-studded cast including Sobhita Dhulipala, Attakathi Dinesh, Kalaiyarasan, and Lingesh.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
