Kollywood is mourning the tragic passing of stuntman Mohan Raj, widely known as SM Raju, who lost his life while filming a high-risk sequence for director Pa Ranjith’s upcoming action drama ‘Vettuvam’. The unfortunate incident has cast a dark cloud over the production and raised pressing concerns about on-set safety protocols.Stunt coordinator Lee Whittaker reacts to SM Raju’s demiseIn a recent interaction, stunt coordinator and action expert Lee Whittaker, who is known for working on ‘Baahubali’, reacted to the incident. In an interview with The Indian Express, Lee Whittaker said, “No one should die doing a stunt. Safety precautions have to meet high standards for the safety of the performer and the crew. If there isn’t, then the stunt should never happen. If there’s not enough funds with production, the stunt should never happen.”
Whittaker further added, “Corners in the action/stunt department should not take place because people can die — unlike any of the other departments on productions.”SM Raju collapsed on Vettuvam shooting setRaju was behind the wheel of an SUV as part of a daring stunt being shot in Nagapattinam on July 13. According to reports, the experienced stuntman collapsed during the sequence. Crew members acted swiftly to extract him from the vehicle and rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he was brought in dead, according to the hospital.Pa Ranjith shared a lengthy note on social media after Raju’s demiseDirector Pa Ranjith expressed his sorrow in a lengthy statement on social media. “A day that started out with detailed planning, caution, clarity in execution, prayers and all our goodwill, as it does on every film set that stages crash sequences, ended up in his unexpected death. This has sent us all into shock and heartbreak,” he wrote.Ranjith further stated that despite strictly following safety protocols under stunt director Dilip Subbarayan’s guidance, they lost a highly experienced and respected stuntman. He added that the loss has deeply affected everyone, and the stuntman will always be remembered with love, respect, and admiration for his exceptional work.Following the tragic incident, local authorities filed a case against the director and other crew members.Whittaker collaborated on major Indian projects such as ‘Vishwaroopam’, ‘Lingaa’, ‘Arrambam’, and SS Rajamouli’s ‘Baahubali’.
