Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja passes away

Promising Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja died of heart attack in Bengaluru on Sunday. He was 39.

The actor collapsed while speaking to his father on phone around 1.10 pm. He was immediately rushed to Apollo Hospital in Jayanagar. Doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Dr Govindaiah Yatheesh, Unit Head, Apollo Specialty Hospital, Jayanagar, said, "Actor Chiranjeevi Sarja was talking to his father at 1.10 pm. He was sweating and collapsed. It is around the same time they left the house. At 2.20 pm he reached Apollo Hospital in Jayanagar but had died on the way. The cause of death seems cardiac. But the family has not requested for an autopsy. We have handed over the body to the police."

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His throat swabs have been sent to laboratory for a report, according to sources.

Last rites will be conducted at the farmhouse of his grandfather Shakti Prasad at Jakkenahalli in Madhugiri taluk in Tumakuru district on Monday. Due to COVID-19 guidelines, only a few people, including his family members, artistes from the Kannada film industry and some Jakkenahalli residents will be permitted to be present, according to the family sources.

Shakti Prasad's family has a house and farmhouse at the village. The family constructed Ahobala Lakshminarasimha Swamy temple at Jakkenahalli. The family members attend the Brahma Rathotsava at the temple every year without fail.

Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa condoled the actor's death saying that the Kannada film industry has lost a good actor. “He was a shining star in the galaxy of artistes. It's disappointing that he died at a young age,” former chief minister H D Kumaraswamy tweeted.

KPCC President D K Shivakumar termed the news of the actor’s death as shocking. The actor had a bright future. Producer K Manju called Chiranjeevi Sarja a hard working actor.

Actor Aditi Prabhudeva, who shared the screen with him in Singa film, termed him as an actor known for simplicity and such actors are rare in the film industry.

The eldest son of Ammaji and Vijay Kumar, Chiranjeevi Sarja, was born on October 17, 1980. The nephew of mutlilingual South Indian actor, Arjun Sarja, he had married Meghana Raj, the daughter of Prameela Joshai and Sundar Raj on May 2, 2018.

He began his career in the Sandalwood with Vayuputra in 2009. Shivarjuna, released days before the lockdown was imposed, is his last film. He had signed for four films which are under shooting currently .

He acted in about 22 films, including Kempe Gowda, Gandedhe, Dandam Dashagunam, Chiru, Amma-I Love, Khaki, Aadyaa.