Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has taken an initiative to provide health and accident insurance coverage for approximately 650 stuntmen and stuntwomen across India. This action was prompted by the tragic death of stuntman SM Raju a few days ago during a car stunt on the set of director Pa Ranjith’s Tamil film, Vettuvam.
Akshay Kumar, as per national media reports, personally funded this insurance scheme, which offers cashless medical treatment up to Rs 5–5.5 lakh for injuries on or off set. The initiative has been praised by a couple of stunt professionals for "addressing systemic gaps in safety and financial security for stunt workers".
Stunt performers face unique risks, so production houses in Hollywood often have specialized insurance policies tailored to high-risk activities. For example, policies may cover specific stunts like high falls or car crashes. In Indian film industries, systematization and coverage are not streamlined. The very fact that someone had to take up the initiative of getting them insured at the individual level shows that collective efforts are lacking even in a cash-rich industry like Bollywood.
