Chennai, 14 July

Popular stunt master Mohan Raj alias SM Raju, 52, died during the shooting of an action scene for a film in Tamil Nadu’s Nagapattinam, a source close to him said on Monday.

Raj, who was driving an SUV in a high-octane stunt scene for director Pa Rajnith’s Vettuvam, in Nagapattinam on 13 July, suddenly collapsed.

His colleagues pulled him out of the vehicle and rushed him to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.

Video of the incident, which went viral, shows those on the sets frantically running to his rescue. He is seen being extracted from the car.

Mohan Raj was a native of Kancheepuram near here.

"One of our great car jumping stunt artists, SM Raju, died while doing car stunts. RIP. Our stunt union and Indian film industry will be missing him,” Silva, a stuntman and an actor said in a post on the social media platform X.

"The news of the death of stunt master Mohan Raj Annan (elder brother) fills me with shock and pain. Today, my heart flutters as I think of the days when you bravely overturned that lorry in the final scene of Vaazhai (film) and shocked everyone. You and your bravery will always be remembered, brother," director and screenwriter Mari Selvaraj said on 'X'.