Kannada actor Dileep Raj passes away

Well known Kannada actor and television producer Dileep Raj passed away on Wednesday after reportedly suffering a cardiac arrest.

He was 47.

Dileep Raj, who is best known for his performances in 'Milana' and 'U Turn', is survived by his wife and two children.

News of the actor and television producer's death plunged the Kannada film industry in gloom with several fans and film celebrities expressing their condolences to the near and dear ones of the actor.

Kannada star Rishab Shetty, in his condolence message in Kannada on X, pointed out that Dileep Raj was not only a good actor, director, and producer but more importantly, a truly good human being.

Stating that although the number of times he had met Dileep had been so few that it could be counted on one’s fingers, Rishab Shetty said that the impression the late actor's personality had made in his heart would never fade.

Sources in the industry say that Dileep was a theatre artiste, who left his mark in theatre, television and films.

Dileep Raj first made his debut in films in the year 2005 in the film 'Boyfriend', in which he played the lead. However, it was his performance as the villain in director Prakash's hit film 'Milana', featuring actors Puneeth Raj Kumar and Parvathy in the lead, that shot him to fame.

Dileep also played a pivotal role in the popular thriller 'U-Turn', which went on to be become a huge success. The actor was last seen in director Darling Krishna's 'Love Mocktail 3', which hit screens worldwide in March this year. The film, which featured Darling Krishna and Milana Nagaraj in the lead, was the final instalment in the popular hit franchise.

The late actor was also popular for his performance in television serials. Some of the serials he was part of include 'Ratha Sapthami' and 'Hitler Kalyana'. In particular, 'Hitler Kalyana', which was produced by Dileep Raj himself, had the actor playing the lead in it. The serial, which is believed to be a Kannada adaptation of the Hindi serial 'Guddan Tumse Na Ho Payega', was a huge success and was telecast on Zee Kannada.

Dileep Raj was also a well known dubbing artiste, who has dubbed in several films for prominent artistes. Notable among these is 'Aa Dinagalu', in which Dileep dubbed for Chethan Kumar.