The news was confirmed by Tamil actor Vishal on social media platform X.
Vishal, who has worked with Raju on several projects, expressed his deep sorrow over the loss. "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. He has performed so many risky stunts in my films time and time again as he is such a brave person," Vishal wrote.
The actor also assured his support for Raju's family. "My deepest condolences, and may his soul rest in peace. May God give more strength to his family for their grave loss. Not just this tweet, but I will definitely be there for his family's future, being from the same film industry and also for his contribution to so many films. From the bottom of my heart and as my duty, I extend my support to them. God bless," he added.
Take a look at Vishal's tweet here:

Popular stunt choreographer Silva also shared his condolences for Raju on Instagram. "One of our great car jumping stunt artist, S M Raju, died today while doing car stunts. Our stunt union and Indian film industry will be missing him (sic)," he wrote in the caption.

As of now, neither have released an official statement regarding the incident.
Raju was well-known in the Kollywood industry for his daring stunts and had been a part of numerous films over the years. His work was appreciated by many actors and filmmakers, contributing to his reputation as a courageous and skilled stunt artist.
The said film is presumably the sequel to the 2021 Tamil drama 'Sarpatta Parambarai'. It is anticipated to hit theatres sometime in 2026.