TEHRAN – Iranian stuntman Arsha Aqdasi died in a Beirut hospital on Wednesday after doctors’ weeklong attempt failed to save him from the injuries he suffered in a car crash while shooting a film project in the Lebanese capital. He was 39.

Based on his last will and testament, his organs will be donated to save lives before his remains are transported to Tehran, Persian media announced.

Working for Indian director Siddharth Anand’s new project “Bang Bang”, he broke his neck on July 28 when a car he was in turned over. He was placed in an induced coma by doctors to prepare him for surgery. However, his injuries caused a disorder in the cerebral circulation system and ultimately led to his demise on Wednesday evening.

Born in Tehran in 1982, he learned aikido, becoming a coach in this modern Japanese martial art.

In 2005, he won a physical education scholarship to an Italian university, however, he changed his plans just days before leaving his hometown for Italy after he came across an announcement advertising a stunt training course offered by renowned Iranian stuntman Payman Abadi, who also was killed in 2009 while shooting a scene for the action telefilm “Invisible Eyes”.

Aqdasi stayed in Iran to become a skilled stuntman, who worked in over 50 screen and stage projects and set new records in stunts, one of which was doing three somersaults with a car in the air.

He also collaborated in a number of international projects including the 2012 James Bond adventure “Skyfall”.

He also founded Stunt 13, a major studio for Iranian stuntmen.

In interviews with Persian media, Aqdasi said that he had a phobia about speed and height, but he could communicate with them, however, he called death “an enjoyable experience” that can happen once.

In January 2019, he and a group of his Iranian colleagues came together in a meeting in Tehran to ask the organizers of Iranian film festivals and events to recognize them as an active group in the film industry.

He also announced his plan to organize a festival for Iranian stuntmen. The first edition of the festival was scheduled to open on May 7, 2019, however, the plan was never implemented.

He lamented that stuntmen have so far been ignored at the Oscars, and said that only three festivals in Russia, America and Hong Kong are held for stuntmen.

Photo: Iranian stuntman Arsha Aqdasi in an undated photo.

MMS/YAW