Chiranjeevi Sarja

Chiranjeevi Sarja was an Indian actor and director who worked mainly in Kannada cinema. He was born on 17 October 1980 in Bangalore, Karnataka, India. He belonged to a family of film personalities; his grandfather Shakti Prasad, uncle Arjun Sarja and brother Dhruva Sarja were all actors, while another uncle Kishore Sarja was a director. He completed his schooling from Baldwin Boys' High School and his graduation from Vijaya College, Bangalore. He started his career as an assistant director to his uncle Arjun Sarja for four years. He made his acting debut in 2009 with the film Vayuputra, directed by his uncle Kishore Sarja, and won the Innovative Film Award for Best Debut (Male). He went on to act in more than 20 films, mostly remakes of other language films. Some of his notable films include Varadhanayaka (2013), Whistle (2013), Chandralekha (2014), Aatagara (2015), Aake (2017), Amma I Love You (2018) and Shivarjuna (2020). He was known for his versatile and naturalistic acting style, and his ability to portray a wide range of characters. He also directed two films, Pratikar and Jaar Jetha Ghar, based on stories by Premendra Mitra. He received critical acclaim and recognition for his performances, especially in the films of K. M. Chaitanya. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2021 for his contribution to Indian cinema. He was also a philanthropist and a social worker, and served as the president of the Cine Artistes Association. He married actress Meghana Raj in 2018 in a Christian and a Hindu ceremony. They were expecting their first child when he died. He died of a cardiac arrest on 7 June 2020 at the age of 39. He was taken to a private hospital in Jayanagar, Bangalore, where he was declared dead. His body was laid in repose at his residence in Basavanagudi, where actors, politicians and fans paid their respects. His funeral was held on 8 June at his brother Dhruva Sarja's farmhouse on Kanakapura Road, where he was buried. He is regarded as one of the finest actors ever to have graced the Kannada silver screen, and his legacy lives on in his films and his fans.