The incident occurred late last evening when the generator was taken inside a room following rains during the shooting for the film "143/144" directed by Kalaimamani, they said.

Johnpaul, a cameraman from Chennai, was unable to bear the suffocation and fainted. He died after a few minutes.

Five junior artistes, including three women, also fainted and had been admitted to the government hospital, police said.

New faces including Krishnamurthy and Sorna Thomas are acting in the film and 50 persons were at the spot when the mishap occurred, they added.