Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay passed away on Tuesday, a day after being admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru following a road accident. He was 37.
The young star, who hailed from Chikkamagaluru, made his Sandalwood debut with a supporting role in the 2011 release Rangappa Hogbitna, starring Ramesh Aravind and Sanjjanaa Galrani. The comedy-drama was directed by M L Prasanna and revolved around an ailing old man.
Sanchari was also part of Rama Rama Raghu Rama, which released in theatres in 2011. He garnered attention with his work in Dasavala, starring director Prem in the lead. This helped him bag a lead role in Harivu, which is regarded as his 'official debut'. The film was based on a real-life incident and explored the impact of urbanisation on the protagonist. It received rave reviews and won a Karnataka State Award.
Sanchari was also part of Prakash Raj's romantic-comedy Oggarane, a remake of actor Lal's Malayalam movie Salt N' Pepper. It was released in Tamil and Telugu as Un Samayal Arayil and Ulavacharu Biryani respectively.
It was, however, his portrayal of a transgender person in Naanu Avanalla...Avalu, which compelled movie buffs to take note of his abilities. The actor bagged the National Award for 'Best Actor', a huge achievement for a relative newcomer. He was also nominated for a Filmfare Award in the same category but lost out to Puneeth Rajkumar, who took home the prize for his work in Rana Vikrama.
Sanchari consolidated his standing in the industry with a key role in the 2016 release Killing Veerappan starring Shivarajkumar in the central role. The film marked Ram Gopal Varma's Sandalwood debut and emerged as a big hit.
His other notable films include Varthamana, Krishna Tulasi and Aduva Gombe. Sanchari was last seen in ACT 1978, which emerged as a critical success. It revolved around what happens when a woman, played by Yagna Shetty, decides to get even with the system.
Actor Sudeep mourned his untimely death and recalled meeting him before the Covid-19 lockdown.
"Very very disheartening to accept that Sanchari Vijay breathed his last. Met him couple of times just bfr this lockdown,,,, all excited about his nxt film,, tats due for release.Very sad. Deepest Condolences to his family and friends," (Sic) tweeted the Rann actor.