India, July 17 -- Bollywood star Akshay Kumar has taken a significant step to address long-standing safety concerns in the film industry by insuring the lives of approximately 650 stuntmen and stuntwomen across India. This initiative follows the recent tragic death of stuntman SM Raju on the set of a Tamil film, Vettuvam, directed by Pa Ranjith and featuring actor Arya. (Also read: 'Followed every protocol to make this safe': Pa Ranjith breaks silence on stuntman SM Raju's death on his film set)

The tragic incident spotlighted the safety standards in the entertainment industry. Recognising this gap, Akshay's new insurance scheme provides health and accident coverage for hundreds of action crew members.

Veteran stunt professional Vikram ...