# Chiranjeevi Sarja (ಚಿರಂಜೀವಿ ಸರ್ಜಾ)
**Chiranjeevi Sarja** (ಚಿರಂಜೀವಿ ಸರ್ಜಾ; October 17, 1980 – June 7, 2020) was an Indian actor who appeared in Kannada-language films, working as a lead in commercial cinema for roughly 11 years and appearing in 22 films.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) • [2](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/kannada-actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-dies-at-39-11591540557036.html) He was popularly known as Chiru and was also credited with the screen epithets "Mass Yuvaraja" and "Sandalwood Prince".[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/bio/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 1980, Bangalore, Karnataka; June 7, 2020, Bangalore (heart attack), aged 39[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) |
| Film family | Grandson of veteran Kannada actor Shakti Prasad; nephew of South Indian star Arjun Sarja; elder brother of actor Dhruva Sarja[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) |
| Career start | Assistant director to Arjun Sarja for about four years, from 2005, before acting[4](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-043474.html) |
| Debut | *Vayuputra* (2009), a romantic action drama in the lead role of Balu; won a best debut award (Innovative Film Award for Best Debut, Male)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) • [5](https://in.bookmyshow.com/amp/person/chiranjeevi-sarja/1058102) |
| Output | 22 films over an 11-year career, including *Chiru* (2010), *Dandam Dashagunam* (2011), *Rudra Tandava* (2015), *Aatagara* (2015), *Samhaara* (2018), and *Shivarjuna* (2020)[2](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/kannada-actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-dies-at-39-11591540557036.html) • [6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/chiranjeevi_sarja_2) |
| Marriage | Married actress Meghana Raj on April 30, 2018; they remained married until his death in 2020[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) |
| Posthumous release | His final film *Rajamartanda* reached theaters on October 6, 2023, three years after his death[7](https://www.ottplay.com/news/late-chiranjeevi-sarjas-last-film-rajamarthanda-gets-a-release-date/0dbf4a2beb263) |
## Family background
Sarja was born in Bengaluru into an acting family. His grandfather was the veteran Kannada actor Shakti Prasad, his maternal uncle was the South Indian star [Arjun Sarja](https://www.edgepedia.org/arjun-sarja), and his younger brother Dhruva Sarja also became a Kannada actor; his cousin Aishwarya Sarja is likewise connected to the industry.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) • [8](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-family-tree-grandson-of-late-shakti-prasad-nephew-of-arjun-sarja-043504.html) According to Kannada Filmibeat, his original name was Chiranjeevi Vijay Kumar.[8](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-family-tree-grandson-of-late-shakti-prasad-nephew-of-arjun-sarja-043504.html)
**Education and early work.** He completed his schooling at Baldwin Boys High School in Bengaluru and graduated from Vijaya College in the same city.[9](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi-sarja.html) After his studies he worked for about four years, beginning in 2005, as an assistant director to Arjun Sarja, learning filmmaking on film sets before acting himself.[4](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-043474.html) • [10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5tx7GCHg)
## Acting career
He debuted as a lead in *Vayuputra* (2009), a romantic action drama that was a home production of the Sarja family and launched him through his uncles Kishore and Arjun Sarja; the film was declared a hit at the box office and earned him a best debut award.[2](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/kannada-actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-dies-at-39-11591540557036.html) • [5](https://in.bookmyshow.com/amp/person/chiranjeevi-sarja/1058102) • [11](https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/kannada-cinema/article/from-vayuputra-to-chandralekha-5-best-kannada-movies-of-chiranjeevi-sarja/748797) He followed it with *Gandedhe* (2010) and *Chiru* (2010); the latter film brought him wide recognition in [Kannada cinema](https://www.edgepedia.org/kannada-cinema).[4](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-043474.html)
Over the next decade he appeared in more than twenty films, frequently playing action-oriented characters.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/bio/) Notable titles included *Dandam Dashagunam* (2011), in which he played A.C.P Surya opposite Ramya; *Whistle* (2013); *Varadhanayaka* (2013); *Ajith* (2014); *Chandralekha* (2014); *Rudra Tandava* (2015), in which he played Shivaraj; *Ramleela* (2015); *Aatagara* (2015); *Aake* (2017); *Samhaara* (2018), where he played Sri, a blind chef; *Seizer* (2018); *Amma I Love You* (2018); *Sinnga* (2019); and *Shivarjuna* (2020), his most recent film at the time of his death.[6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/chiranjeevi_sarja_2) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) • [12](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/kannada/2018/Feb/09/samhaara-a-watchable-thriller-4444.html) In a 2018 interview with the *Times of India*, he said he was taking a break from experimental cinema and character-driven roles to focus on commercial masala films, and that he had taken remake roles so as not to sit idle without work.[13](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-to-reinvent-himself-as-mass-hero/articleshow/67217703.cms)
At his death, four films were still pending release: *Rajamartanda*, *April*, *Ranam*, and *Kshatriya*; *Shivarjuna* was his last film to reach theaters during his lifetime.[4](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-043474.html)
## Death
On June 6, 2020, Sarja complained of breathlessness and chest pain and was admitted to Sagar Apollo Hospital in Jayanagar, Bengaluru.[10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5tx7GCHg) • [14](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/darshan-toogudeepa-condolences-to-chiraneejvi-sarja-death-043475.html) He died there of a cardiac arrest on the afternoon of Sunday, June 7, 2020, at the age of 39; reports say he collapsed at home at about 2 pm before being rushed to the hospital and that he did not respond to treatment.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/) • [10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5tx7GCHg) • [15](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-death-anniversary-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-051090.html) As a precaution under government coronavirus norms, a swab test was conducted after his death.[10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5tx7GCHg)
Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa and senior Congress leader [Siddaramaiah](https://www.edgepedia.org/siddaramaiah) were among those who condoled his death.[2](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/kannada-actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-dies-at-39-11591540557036.html) His funeral was held on June 8, 2020 at the Brindavan farm house on Kanakapura road, with Hindu rites and a farewell attended by thousands of mourners.[10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5tx7GCHg) • [8](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-family-tree-grandson-of-late-shakti-prasad-nephew-of-arjun-sarja-043504.html)
At the time of his death, his wife Meghana Raj Sarja was five months pregnant with their first child.[7](https://www.ottplay.com/news/late-chiranjeevi-sarjas-last-film-rajamarthanda-gets-a-release-date/0dbf4a2beb263)
## Posthumous releases and remembrance
*Rajamartanda*, directed by K Ramnarayan, was complete except for dubbing when Sarja died. His brother Dhruva Sarja agreed to complete the film and dubbed the late actor's portions in 2022; the film was released in theaters on October 6, 2023, coinciding with Dhruva's birthday. The trailer had been launched the previous year by Sarja's son, Raayan Raj Sarja.[7](https://www.ottplay.com/news/late-chiranjeevi-sarjas-last-film-rajamarthanda-gets-a-release-date/0dbf4a2beb263) The film was reviewed by *The New Indian Express* as a tribute to his fan base.[16](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/kannada/review/2023/Oct/09/rajamarthanda-movie-reviewa-fitting-tribute-to-chiranjeevi-sarjas-devoted-fanbase-48412.html)
Sarja is remembered in Kannada cinema for his screen presence and mass appeal, with IMDb's biographical note describing him as a reliable commercial star across romance, drama, and action, and a person remembered affectionately by Kannada film audiences.[3](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/bio/)
## References
1. [Chiranjeevi Sarja, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/)
2. [Kannada actor Chiranjeevi Sarja dies at 39, Livemint/PTI (June 7, 2020)](https://www.livemint.com/news/india/kannada-actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-dies-at-39-11591540557036.html)
3. [Chiranjeevi Sarja - Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5699216/bio/)
4. [ಯಡಿಯೂರಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಆಡಿ ಬೆಳೆದ ಚಿರಂಜೀವಿ ಸರ್ಜಾ ಹೆಜ್ಜೆ ಗುರುತು, Kannada Filmibeat (June 7, 2020)](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/actor-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-043474.html)
5. [Chiranjeevi Sarja - Movies, Biography, News, Age & Photos, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/amp/person/chiranjeevi-sarja/1058102)
6. [Chiranjeevi Sarja Movies List, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/chiranjeevi_sarja_2)
7. [Late Chiranjeevi Sarja's last film, Rajamarthanda, gets a release date, OTTplay (September 8, 2023)](https://www.ottplay.com/news/late-chiranjeevi-sarjas-last-film-rajamarthanda-gets-a-release-date/0dbf4a2beb263)
8. [ಚಿರಂಜೀವಿ & ಅರ್ಜುನ್ ಫ್ಯಾಮಿಲಿಯ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗದ ನಂಟು, Kannada Filmibeat (June 2020)](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-family-tree-grandson-of-late-shakti-prasad-nephew-of-arjun-sarja-043504.html)
9. [ಚಿರಂಜೀವಿ ಸರ್ಜಾ (Chiranjeevi): ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರಗಳು, ವಯಸ್ಸು, ಜೀವನ ಚರಿತ್ರೆ, Kannada Filmibeat](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/celebs/chiranjeevi-sarja.html)
10. [Chiranjeevi Sarja passes away, TV9 Kannada video (June 8, 2020)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4a5tx7GCHg)
11. [From Vayuputra to Chandralekha: 5 best Kannada movies of Chiranjeevi Sarja, Zoom TV (April 24, 2021)](https://www.zoomtventertainment.com/kannada-cinema/article/from-vayuputra-to-chandralekha-5-best-kannada-movies-of-chiranjeevi-sarja/748797)
12. [Samhaara Review: A watchable thriller, The New Indian Express / Cinema Express (February 9, 2018)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/reviews/kannada/2018/Feb/09/samhaara-a-watchable-thriller-4444.html)
13. [Chiranjeevi Sarja to reinvent himself as mass hero, Times of India (December 24, 2018)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-to-reinvent-himself-as-mass-hero/articleshow/67217703.cms)
14. [ಚಿರು ನಿಧನಕ್ಕೆ ಕಂಬನಿ ಮಿಡಿದ ದರ್ಶನ್ ತೂಗುದೀಪ, Kannada Filmibeat (June 7, 2020)](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/darshan-toogudeepa-condolences-to-chiraneejvi-sarja-death-043475.html)
15. [ಚಿರಂಜೀವಿ ಸರ್ಜಾ ಪುಣ್ಯಸ್ಮರಣೆ, Kannada Filmibeat (June 7, 2021)](https://kannada.filmibeat.com/news/chiranjeevi-sarja-death-anniversary-chiranjeevi-sarja-personal-life-and-film-journey-051090.html)
16. [Rajamarthanda Movie Review: A fitting tribute to Chiranjeevi Sarja's devoted fanbase, Cinema Express (October 9, 2023)](https://www.cinemaexpress.com/kannada/review/2023/Oct/09/rajamarthanda-movie-reviewa-fitting-tribute-to-chiranjeevi-sarjas-devoted-fanbase-48412.html)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Film people and crafts › Film actors and performers › Indian and South Asian film actors by industry and language › Kannada film actors*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license