Kannada actor Santhosh Balaraj dies at 34 due to jaundice-related complications

Kannada actor Santhosh Balaraj, son of famous producer Anekal Balraj, died at the age of 34 in a private hospital. According to Asianet News, the actor was admitted to the ICU after suffering from jaundice at a young age.

He primarily worked in Kannada-language films in his acting career. For those who don’t know, he started his career with the 2009 film ‘Kempa’ where he played the lead role opposite Avinash, Ruchita Prasad, Pradeep Singh Rawat and others. 

Known films of Santhosh Balaraj: Kariya 2, Ganapa, Sathyam

Santhosh also featured in films like ‘Kariya 2’, which was produced by his father, Anekal Balraj, under the banner of Santosh Enterprises (SE). The film has an IMDb rating of 7.1 and features Ajay Ghosh, Mayuri Kyatari, Sadhu Kokila and Nagesh Karthik in the lead roles. 

His known films also include the 2015 film ‘Ganapa’ and the 2024 film ‘Sathyam’. According to IMDb, he was also a part of Sumant Kranthi’s film ‘Berklee’. The film also stars Charan Raj, Simran Natekar, and Raja Balwadi in the key roles.

Santhosh Balaraj’s death reason

Reportedly, the actor Santhosh Balaraj passed away due to ineffective treatment. He was in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and admitted to Sagar Apollo Hospital in Kumaraswamy Layout which is located in Karnataka.

Talking about his father, film producer Anekal Balaraj died in a road accident on May 15, 2025, in Bengaluru. He was known for films like ‘Kariya 2’, ‘Kariya’, and ‘Jackpot’. However, Santhosh used to live with his mother and was not married. 

In addition, Shanavas, a well-known Malayalam actor, passed away on Monday night at the age of 71. He was the son of legendary actor Prem Nazir. Shanavas was receiving treatment for heart and kidney problems, according to Manorama Online.