Santhosh Balaraj Death: Kannada film industry is in piteous shock as popular actor Santhosh Balaraj who made his most films be noticed in Kariya 2 and Ganapa died too early at the age of 34. The actor passed away in the morning on Tuesday in the Apollo Hospital in Kumaraswamy Layout in Bengaluru due to complications of severe jaundice.
Santhosh had been in the ICU few weeks back when his condition had deteriorated because of liver and kidney problems. He fell into a coma and although there were continuous treatment, he could not be brought back to life. Physicians attested to the fact that he died of poor response to treatment and deteriorating health around 9.30 am this morning.
A Promising Career Cut Short
The eldest son of well known Kannada movie producer Anekal Balraaj had introduced Santhosh to the Kannada movie industry. He started his acting career in 2009 with the movie Kempa, where he worked as a lead actor along with the other actors such as Avinash, Ruchita Prasad and Pradeep Singh Rawat.
His most popular roles came in films like:
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Kariya 2 (2017) -gangster action-packed movie produced by his father, under his father banner Santosh Enterprises. The movie has a 7.1 IMDb rating and Ajay Ghosh, Mayuri Kyatari, Sadhu Kokila in the lead role.
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Ganapa (2015) – A film that helped him gain recognition in the Kannada film world.
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Sathyam (2024)
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Berklee – A movie directed by Sumant Kranthi, where Santhosh appeared alongside Charan Raj, Simran Natekar, and Raja Balwadi.
Family Tragedy Strikes Twice
The death of Santhosh occurs soon after the untimely demise of his father Anekal Balraj that took place in a road accident on May 15, 2025, in Bengaluru. When crossing the road, a biker riding at high speed hit him forcing him to sustain fatal head injuries.
Anekal Balraj was an honored personality in the film industry who produced a number of films such as Kariya, Kariya 2, and Jackpot. He played a vital role in creating the acting career of Santhosh, in particular introducing the movie Kariya 2.
Santhosh was single and he stayed with mother. There have been condolence messages in social to their friend and fans who have left family and friends with memories of its soft talkative actor who died too early.
Another Blow to the Film Industry
Another depressing news was that Shanavas, the 71 year old son of legendary Prem Nazir, who had been an actor in Malayalam also died on Monday night. According to Manorama Online, he had been receiving treatment against heart/kidney related complications.
Gone Too Soon
The death of Santhosh Balaraj has created crimp in Sandalwood industry. There was still so much ahead of him as he was only 34 years old and his fans looked forward to him returning to the screen. His fight against jaundice has become fatal because of the complications caused by liver and the kidney failure.
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The fans, co-stars and fellow filmmakers have also been lamenting the loss of Santhosh when they not only recall his prowess as an actor, but also the memory that remained of late; the son of Anekal Balra; who grew up and shone in the film industry.
Rest in Peace, Santhosh Balaraj. Your legacy in Kannada cinema will never be forgotten.
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