Kannada actor Santhosh Balaraj passed away at 34. The actor is survived by his mother. Santhosh breathed his last at a private hospital in Bengaluru.

Santhosh rose to popularity with the hit romantic thriller Ganapa (2015), directed by Prabhu Srinivas. The song ‘Muddagi Neenu’, sung by Sonu Nigam, was a huge hit from the movie.

Santhosh is the son of Anekal Balaraj, the man who produced the 2003 blockbuster Kariya. Starring Darshan and directed by Prem, the movie was a gangster drama featuring real underworld dons of Bengaluru.

ALSO READ: ‘Ganapa’: A gangster like any other

Santhosh starred in the spiritual sequel to Kariya. The movie was again helmed by Ganapa directed Prabhu Srinivas. Also starring Mayuri Kyatari, Kariya 2 released in 2017.