Meet pan-India actor and producer who passed away at 27 in tragic plane crash, worked with Chiranjeevi, Amitabh Bachchan and more

I’ve come across varying reports regarding Soundarya’s birthday, with some media outlets stating it as the 18th of July, 1976. As for her educational background, the late actress began her academic journey in Bangalore but chose to halt her studies after completing the first year of her Intermediate education.

A well-known actress has brought numerous box office successes in various South languages and Hindi to the table. She has been honored with several esteemed accolades such as Karnataka State Film Awards and the National Award.

In 2002, Soundarya was honored with the National Film Award for Best Produced Film (Kannada: Dweepa). Noteworthy is the fact that she appeared in the movie as its leading actress.

In addition, Soundarya, a compassionate person, established three schools for children who had lost their families in her village Ganjigunte, located in Mulbagal (Kolar).

Soumya Sathyanarayan’s filmography

I, an ardent fan, can’t help but share the captivating journey of my beloved actress, Soundarya. In the year 1992, she made her debut in Kannada cinema with the movie “Baa Nanna Preethisu,” a role expertly guided by the visionary director S. Siddalingaiah. Not long after this auspicious beginning, fortune favored Soundarya once more as she was cast in yet another film.

In July 1992, Gandharva acted alongside Krishna in the Telugu movie “Raithu Bharatham.” This film was helmed by Tripuraneni Sriprasad, who went by the alias Varaprasad.

I’ve always been a huge fan of that remarkable actress, and even before she made it big in Telugu cinema, she captivated audiences with her lead roles in Kannada, her mother tongue. But little did we know that she was destined for greatness in the Telugu industry. Her breakthrough role came when she starred in Rajendrudu Gajendrudu, a film brilliantly directed by S. V. Krishna Reddy.

In 1994, it was the film “Hello Brother” that brought Soundarya significant fame and acclaim. She starred in this production directed by E. V. V. Satyanarayana, featuring Nagarjuna and Ramya Krishna as her co-stars.

When discussing Soundarya’s impressive body of work, it’s essential not to overlook her acclaimed performance in Ammoru, directed by Kodi Ramakrishna. In this film, she starred alongside Ramya Krishna and Suresh, portraying the character of Bhavani – a devoted follower of Goddess Ammoru.

In English: The late Soundarya was extremely popular in Tamil cinema, with eleven films released in her name in 1995. Her debut movie, “Ponnumani,” brought her significant recognition as she portrayed a mentally challenged character alongside Karthik and Sivakumar.

In the late 1990s, she starred in blockbuster movies such as “Arunachalam” (1997) alongside Rajinikanth, which became the top-earning film of the year. The following year, she appeared in “Choodalani Vundi” (1998) with Chiranjeevi, reaching new heights in her acting career.

I had the privilege of making my first appearance in Bollywood alongside the esteemed Amitabh Bachchan in his film “Sooryavansham.” Despite underperforming financially at the box office, the movie found great success on television right away.

Soundarya’s stint in politics and tragic death

After achieving nationwide fame as a superstar actress in India, Soundarya joined the BJP party in 2004. Her enthusiastic fans looked forward to seeing her in a new light, but tragically, her life took an unexpected turn. In the same year, on April 17, Soundarya sadly lost her life at the young age of 27 in a plane crash.

I was traveling with my brother Amarnath from Bengaluru to Karimnagar for an election campaign, filled with excitement and determination. Sadly, our lives were cut short when the small Cessna 180 plane we were in met with a devastating accident at the University of Agricultural Sciences’ Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra.

According to a TOI report, an eyewitness described how the Cessna-180 plane turned into a fireball shortly after crashing and collapsing only moments after takeoff. The eyewitness quickly reached the scene of the accident.

Although Soundarya is not physically present with us anymore, she shall live in our hearts forever.