National award-winning Kannada actor Sanchari Vijay (38), who had sustained grievous head injuries and thigh bone fracture in a bike accident on Satuday night, passed away in a private hospital in Bengaluru on Monday afternoon.
Vijay, a theatre actor debuted in films with Rangappa Hogbitna in 2011. He went on to win the National Award for Best Actor for portraying a transgender in the Kannada (autobiographical) film Naanu Avanalla... Avalu (I am not him...but her), directed by B. S. Lingadevaru in 2015. He has acted in more than 20 films including award winning film Harivu, Naathicharaami, Dasavala, Oggarane among others.
On Saturday, around 11.45pm, Vijay, was riding pillion on his friend Naveen's bike in J. P. Nagar 7th Phase, when the bike skidded off the road and hit an electric pole. Both the riders were not wearing helmets leading to Vijay sustaining grievous head injury. He was rushed to Apollo hospital on Bannerghatta Road and was immediately operated upon by Dr Arun Naik.
Vijay's younger brother Siddesh Kumar informed that his family had decided to donate the vital organs as the late actor always believed in helping others. "It is a tough call. But our family is reconciling to the fact that nothing can be done now. Despite being a national awardee, he was one among the common man. He volunteered during floods in the state and now working for Covid relief. We want to donate his organs," said Siddesh, who also thanked deputy chief minister Dr C. N. Ashwath Narayan for bearing the treatment cost of his brother.
Over the last few weeks, Vijay was part of "Usiru" - a Covid relief initiative launched by the film fraternity lead by Kaviraj. He was involved in distributing food kits, medicines and oxygen concentrators to people.
Earlier in the day, Dr Arun Naik, a neurosurgeon treating Vijay had said that the actor was in a "deeply unconscious state" from the time he was admitted to the hospital. "As he was still breathing when he was brought to the hospital, we carried out a CT scan of the brain and found there was internal bleeding and the right side of the brain was badly injured too. The skull was fractured and there was swelling. We carried out a surgery the same night after counselling the patient's family. We continued his treatment in the NICU. There was no neuroresponse in the patient and all brain functions have come to a standstill. This is a case of brain failure. If this stage continues, there will be no chance of recovery. He has been on life support," Naik had said.