Veteran Kannada actor Sathyajith passed away at a hospital in Bengaluru on Sunday after a battle with a serious illness for several months. He was 72. Sathyajith, born Syed Nizamuddin, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in the Bowring Hospital, but failed to respond to the treatment. Having been bitten by the acting bug at a young age, the late actor made appearances in over 650 Kannada films, but chose to stay away from the limelight in recent years due to ill-health.
Sathyajith is best known among fans for his performances in Shiva Mecchida Kannappa, Chitrada Premanjali, Putnanja and Apthamitra and won accolades for playing villain in a majority of his films. The news of the iconic actor's death has come as a big shock for many in Kannada cinema as personalities from all walks of life, including fans have been taking to social media to express their condolences and pay their tributes. Karnataka politician Sumalatha Ambareesh said, "The departure of senior actor Sathyajith has caused a lot of pain. As an artiste, he entertained his fans by acting in more than 650 films, including Mandyada Gandu. I pray that the family gets the strength to bear the pain." Sathyajith is survived by his wife Sophia Begum, daughter Akthar Swaleha, a pilot by profession and son Akash Jith, who also is an actor in the Kannada film industry.