Akshay Kumar's long-standing but largely unpublicised initiative to provide insurance coverage for stunt artists has gained renewed attention following stuntman S M Raju'S tragic death during the filming of Vettuvam, directed by Pa Ranjith and starring Arya.
Raju, also known as Mohan Raj, lost his life on July 13 in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu, while performing a high-risk car-toppling stunt involving an SUV.
The vehicle, meant to somersault mid-air off a ramp, crashed uncontrollably and landed head-first.
Although Raju was initially found without visible external injuries, he was critically wounded and declared dead on arrival at the Nagapattinam Government Medical College Hospital.
The incident, caught in a chilling video circulating online, has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns over the safety and welfare of stunt professionals in Indian cinema.
In light of the tragedy, Akshay Kumar's long-standing efforts to support the stunt community have come into focus.
According to Aejaz Gulab, general secretary, Stuntmen's Association, 'Stuntmen never got insurance. I had been personally running around from 2002 to get insurance for our association but without success. Thanks to Akshay Kumar who intervened and with the help of the Asian Heart Hospital, he gifted insurance to all of us.'
According to a report on the India Today news television channel, Kumar has been personally funding medical insurance premiums worth Rs 6 crore to Rs 7 crore (Rs 60 million to 70 million) annually for over 650 stuntmen and their families for the past eight years.
This initiative began in 2016 after stuntman Abdul Sattar Munna's death in a road accident.
The financial hurdles to entering the profession are steep.
Aspiring stuntmen must pay nearly Rs 700,000 to obtain an official membership card, without which they cannot work on film sets.
This barrier excludes many potential entrants.
Daily wages remain modest. Junior stuntmen earn about Rs 5,800 per day, while body doubles may earn Rs 14,000.
Given the high-risk nature of their work, many argue that these rates fall far short of what is fair, particularly when insurance and safety benefits are not industry standard.
Akshay Kumar acknowledged a recent social media post by journalist Rajdeep Sardesai praising his contributions of paying insurance money premium to stuntmen.
Sardesai writes on X, 'Good news: nhow @akshaykumar is quietly helping stuntmen with insurance.'
Responding to that Akshay wrote, 'Thank you for the kind words Rajdeep Sardesai. Humbled.'
About stuntman S M Raju's accident, Director Pa Ranjith shared Neelam Productions' condolence note on X.
'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 Tamizh 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.
'A day that started out with detailed planning, caution, clarity in execution, prayers and all our good will, 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 heart break.
'Mohan Raj Anna was valued and respected by his colleagues in the stunt team and all of us in the crew. He was a veteran in performing stunts whose planning, clarity and execution we all relied on.
'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 inspite 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.
'This death is devastating. We deeply mourn the loss of Mohan Raj Anna a husband, father, an incredible stunt artist and a graceful human being. He wanted to be remembered for his work as a fabulous stunt artist and that's how he will always stay in our memory.'
Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff
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