How Vijayakanth pulled off a risky action sequence in Sethupathi IPS without a body double, details inside

Aruna Guhan, a producer and creative director with AVM Productions, revealed how Vijayakanth, one of the leading actors in the Tamil film industry in the 1990s, chose to do a risky stunt sequence, sans body double, for the superhit 1994 film, Sethupathi IPS.

Taking to Instagram, Aruna, posted a series of pictures, shot on the sets of Sethupathi IPS, and gave details of how Vijayakanth chose to do the risky stunts all by himself. "On popular request, (sharing) some trivia and working still from Sethupathi IPS, 1994," she wrote.

"In this scene, terrorists had planted a bomb in the clock tower of this building where Ministers gathered for a meeting. Vijayakanth sir was to climb the clock tower and stop the clock to defuse the bomb. There was no rope technique used, where a rope is tied around the actor's waist to lift him in the air," Aruna stated.

Further, she said, "Thatha (AVM Saravanan) has spoken of how Vijayakanth sir took several risks and worked so hard to execute scenes and fights without a stunt double and sure enough, it had audiences on the edge of their seats."

Directed by P Vasu, the film also featured Meena, as the female lead. The supporting cast of Sethupathi IPS includes MN Nambiar, Srividya, Kavery, Vijayakumar, Delhi Ganesh, Senthil, Goundamani, Thyagu and others.

Sethupathi IPS has music by Ilaiyaraaja.

Stepping into the business six years ago in 2013, Aruna and Aparna Guhan have been instrumental in giving AVM a digital presence through YouTube, Twitter and Facebook and producing fresh content including a 90-minute web film, Ithuvum Kadanthu Pogum.

AVM Studios on Arcot Road, which once stood tall and proud—with the signature rotating globe and the letters 'AVM' squeaking with each turn—may have made way for a multi-story apartment complex now, but the space will always evoke a magical feeling of fantasy that motion pictures always carry with them for every Tamil cinema lover.