Actor Vishal pledges support to stunt artist SM Raju’s family after he dies in a freak accident on PA Ranjith’s film set

Actor Vishal confirmed on Sunday night the tragic death of stunt artist SM Raju, who died on Sunday while performing a high-risk car stunt on the sets of Pa.Ranjith’s new film featuring actor Arya. Tamil actor Vishal, who has worked with Raju on numerous projects, paid an emotional tribute on social media. Taking to X (formerly Twitter) account, Vishal confirmed that Raju passed away while doing a car toppling sequence.

He wrote, “So difficult to digest the fact that stunt artist Raju passed away while doing a car toppling sequence for Jammy (@arya_offl) and @beemji Ranjith’s film this morning. I have known Raju for so many years, and he has performed so many risky stunts in my films time and again. He was such a brave person. My deepest condolences and may his soul rest in peace.”

Vishal also pledged to support Raju’s family and wrote, “May God give more strength to his family for their grave loss. Not just this tweet — I will definitely be there for his family’s future, being from the same film industry and in gratitude for his contribution to so many films. From the bottom of my heart and as my duty, I extend my support for them. God bless,” he added.

Stuntman SM Raju dies while performing a stunt

The tragic incident took place on the set of filmmaker PA Ranjith’s upcoming movie starring Arya. The fatal incident occurred on July 13. A video of the mishap has surfaced online and ignited widespread concern over on-set safety practices in the film industry.

The footage shows Raju executing a high-risk car-toppling stunt. As the vehicle hits an alleviated ramp, it spirals out of control mid-air and crash lands on its front. As the vehicle crashes, the crew initially doesn’t realise the impact. The crew eventually approached the vehicle and found Raju severely injured. The stuntman died shortly after.

Raju was a respected and seasoned stunt artist in the Tamil film industry, widely known for his fearless execution of high-risk action sequences. Over the years, he worked on numerous films, earning praise from both actors and filmmakers for his skill, dedication, and courage.