Not just Sandalwood but the entire South Cinema received a rude shock when it came to light that young Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja had succumbed to a massive Cardiac Arrest, early last month on the 7th of June. He was taken to a hospital after he developed uneasiness and complained of pain. Apparently, the doctors could not revive him and he was declared dead when he was brought to the hospital in Jayanagar. Chiranjeevi was only 39 years old and was married to actress Meghana Raj who acted in the Tamil film Kaadhal Solla Vandhen. The 39-year-old actor, who is a cousin of Action King Arjun Sarja, was one of the most popular and sought after actors in Sandalwood, with about 5-6 projects in hand, in various stages of production. It was reported that the makers of Chiranjeevi Sarja’s films have approached his brother Dhruv Sarja to complete the leftover scenes and also work on the dubbing instead of his brother.
Now It is reported that Dhruv Sarja and his wife Prerana have been tested positive for COVID-19. The couple is currently admitted to a hospital. Dhruva opened up about this on social media and also requested people who were in contact with them to get tested “My wife and I have both been tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and hence chosen to get ourselves hospitalised. I’m sure we’ll be back all fine! All those who were in close proximity with us please get yourselves tested and remain safe. ಜೈ ಆಂಜನೇಯ.” Dhruva is said to be the second Sandalwood celebrity to have contracted the infection. Earlier, actress-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh was also found COVID-19 positive.
Dhruva debuted in films with the 2012 blockbuster film Addhuri. His portrayal of Arjun as the male lead, opposite Radhika Pandit, received praise from critics. He signed for his next film Bahaddur with his close friend Chethan Kumar in 2013, starring again opposite Pandit. The film became commercially successful and in April 2015 he signed for Bharjari which was released in September 2017, becoming a blockbuster and giving hat-trick success to Dhruva Sarja. All three films of Dhruv have turned out to be a commercial success at the box office and his next film has been tilted Pogaru which features Rashmika Mandanna as the female lead. We wish for Dhruv Sarja and his wife’s speedy recovery.