Kannada Actor Santhosh Balaraj Dies At 34 Due To Jaundice

Santhosh Balaraj, a popular Kannada actor known for his intense screen presence, passed away at the age of 34 in Bengaluru. The actor, who had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Sagar Apollo Hospital in Kumaraswamy Layout, succumbed to complications arising from jaundice. Reports indicate that he had been battling jaundice since a young age and the treatment was reportedly ineffective.

Santhosh was the son of veteran Kannada film producer Anekal Balaraj, who passed away earlier this year on May 15, 2025, in a tragic road accident in Bengaluru. Anekal Balaraj had produced several notable films such as Kariya, Kariya 2, and Jackpot. Santhosh, who was unmarried, lived with his mother.

Santhosh made his acting debut in the 2009 Kannada film Kempa, playing the lead role alongside Avinash, Ruchita Prasad, and Pradeep Singh Rawat. Over the years, he gained recognition for his performances in several Kannada-language films.

Some of his most known films include Kariya 2 (produced by his father under the banner Santosh Enterprises), Ganapa (2015), and Sathyam (2024). Kariya 2, which has an IMDb rating of 7.1, starred actors such as Ajay Ghosh, Mayuri Kyatari, Sadhu Kokila, and Nagesh Karthik. According to IMDb, Santhosh was also part of Berklee, a film directed by Sumant Kranthi and co-starring Charan Raj, Simran Natekar, and Raja Balwadi.

In a related development, Malayalam cinema also suffered a loss as actor Shanavas, the son of legendary actor Prem Nazir, passed away at the age of 71 on Monday night. He was undergoing treatment for heart and kidney ailments, as reported by Manorama Online.

Santhosh Balaraj's untimely death has left the Kannada film industry in shock, with tributes pouring in for the young actor whose promising career was cut short.