The tragic sudden demise of actor Santhosh Balaraj at age 34 on August 5 in Bengaluru has rocked the Kannada film industry in mourning. On Tuesday morning at Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru’s Kumaraswamy Layout. The young actor has been suffering from jaundice for some time, but his health deteriorated rapidly despite intensive medical treatment. Reportedly, it was said that he developed multi organ failure, taking away the young life too early.
According to The Week, he passed away at around 9:30 AM after complications from liver and kidney problems that caused extreme jaundice. As his health deteriorated, the actor was placed in critical care after being taken to the hospital last month.
His death is only three years after the father’s demise, the well-known film producer Anekal Balaraj, who died in a road accident in 2022, as a double shock. The tragic news has left fans, friends, and colleagues in industry mourning.
Santhosh made his acting debut in 2009 with the rural action film Kempa, produced by his father. Even though his initial films Olavina Ole and Janma did not do much at the box office, he gained notice with the release of Ganapa in 2015.
It’s a very gritty underworld tale set in Bengaluru, and showcased Santhosh’s ability to take very high-octane, character-driven roles, he went on to dub the film in Hindi as Daada Ka Vaada, extending his reach beyond Karnataka. His popularity soared even after this film, boosted with Kariya 2 (2017), yet another crime-action movie that sealed his fate in Sandalwood as a promising leading man.
According to reports, Santhosh was unmarried and was living with his mother at the time of his demise. Passionate, grounded, and a realist at heart, he would often express the desire to explore all possible genres so that he would not soon be typecast by audiences. He is remembered by colleagues as a humble talent just beginning his odyssey of exploring the realm of acting abilities.
Santhosh’s death comes not only with the end of a budding career but also leaves a vacuum in Kannada cinema. Though brief, his contributions are cherished by a special section of audiences.
