Actor Soundarya’s flying career was cut short when she passed away in an aircraft crash on April 17, 2004. Soundarya, who died at 32, had starred opposite superstars such as Rajinikanth, Vishnuvardhan and Mohanlal, apart from her appearance with Amitabh Bachchan in a Hindi film ( Sooryavansham ). The actor, raised in Bengaluru, was a popular name in the Telugu film industry before her foray into politics.
On the fateful day, Soundarya had boarded a single-engine Cessna 180 from the Jakkur airfield in Bengaluru. The actor, who had joined BJP, was headed to Karimnagar in Andhra Pradesh to campaign for the party. Soundarya was with her brother Amarnath, and BJP party worker Ramesh Kadam in the airplane.
Five minutes into their journey, the aircraft crashed into flames. All the passengers, including Joy Philips, passed away in the incident. The bodies of the travellers were charred beyond recognition.
The aircraft crashed on the Gandhi Krishi Vygyan Kendra (GKVK) University of Agriculture Sciences in Bengaluru. Soundarya was reportedly pregnant. The actor was married to GS Raghu, a software engineer.
ALSO READ: SC grants interim relief to Telugu actor Mohan Babu in case of ‘assault’ on journalist More than two decades after the incident, Soundarya’s death is in the limelight again due to a complaint filed in Khammam district in Andhra Pradesh. Chittimallu, the complainant, has alleged that the actor’s death wasn’t accidental. He has linked Soundarya’s death to a pro.
