Stuntman SM Raju's death: Here's what happened, according to filmmaker Pa. Ranjith

On July 13, SM Raju, aka Mohan Raj, a stuntman working on Pa.Ranjith's new film Vettuvam, lost his life in the middle of a vehicular sequence. The stunt, which involved an SUV in a complex car-flip manoeuvre over a ramp, went awry when the vehicle lost balance mid-air and crashed into the ground, terminally injuring Raju.

Several onlookers and crew members hurried to his aid, pulling him out of the wreckage. Unfortunately, he was declared dead on arrival at the hospital to which he was rushed. According to reports, he succumbed to severe injuries to his chest. Videos of the crash that circulated on social media showed the car somersaulting through the air before suddenly slamming down into the ground.

Following the incident, the police in Keelaiyur, Tamil Nadu, booked director Pa Ranjith, stunt choreographer Rajkamal, Neelam Productions, and crew member Prabhakaran under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which include: Section 289: Negligent conduct likely to endanger human life, Section 125: Abetment of an offence, and Section 106(1): Culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Ranjith has now broken his silence on what really transpired on that fateful day. In an official statement, the Sarpatta Parambarai director said:

"On the morning of 13th July, we lost unexpectedly a talented stunt artist and a long-time colleague, Mr. Mohan Raj, on the sets of our film Vettuvam in Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu. Our heart is broken for his wife, children, family and all who knew and loved Mohan Raj Anna as a colleague and a friend."

Ranjith recalled that the day commenced with "detailed planning, caution, clarity in execution, prayers and all our goodwill," but led to this unforeseen, tragic event, which caused shock and heartbreak to everyone.

"Mohan Raj Anna was valued and respected by his colleagues in the stunt team and all of us in the crew," he continued, adding that he was a reliable stunt veteran noted for his planning, clarity and execution. "We relied on the expertise of our Stunt Director Dilip Subbarayan and followed every protocol, every detail that was needed to make this safe. That, in spite of all of our preparations and precautions, we ended up losing a man who had unparalleled experience and achievements, who made his family, colleagues and Directors proud with the quality of his work, has affected us deeply. He will have our respect, love and adoration always." 

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