Missing director Vetri Duraisamy's body recovered from Satluj river; close friend Ajith pays last respects

Chennai: Director Vetri Duraisamy, who went missing nine days ago, was found dead on Monday after days of intense search operations. The director's body was recovered from the Satluj river in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district. Vetri's father and former Chennai Mayor Saidai Duraisamy had announced a Rs 1 crore reward to anyone who found his son. He had also also made an appeal to the local people to help with the rescue operations.

On February 4, Vetri Duraisamy went missing after the vehicle in which he was travelling met with an accident and plunged into the Satluj river. The vehicle was on its way to Shimla from Kaza when the accident took place.

The body of the driver, identified as Tanjin, a resident of Lahaul and Spiti, was recovered on February 5, while another person Gopinath suffered serious injuries and was shifted to a hospital in Shimla.

Many celebrities and politicians paid their last respects to the filmmaker known for his work 'Endraavathu Oru Naal (2021) ' starring Remya Nambeesan and Vidharth in the lead.

Actor Ajith, who was Vetri's close friend and riding partner, paid his last respects to the filmmaker. Kamal Haasan expressed his grief on X. “The news of the death of Vetri Duraisamy, the son of former Chennai Mayor and friend, Saidai Duraisamy, is deeply saddening. It is an unimaginable grief that a young man who was just starting out met his end in such an accident. My heartfelt condolences to the father who has lost his son. I hope he recovers from this soon,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami and former CM O Panneerselvam among others on Monday condoled the death of Vetri Duraisamy.

In a statement, Stalin expressed shock and grief over the incident. "This is a grief which should not and cannot be faced by a father," he said and extended his sympathies with Duraisamy.”

(With PTI inputs)