Sanchari Vijay, a national-award-winning actor, excelled in character-driven films. The 38-year-old, who hailed from Kadur taluk in Chikkamagaluru district, carved a decade-old film journey through experimental roles.
Toiling hard to find his space in Sandalwood, Vijay received his big break with B S Lingadevaru’s ‘Naanu Avanalla…Avalu’ (2015), based on Living Smile Vidya’s autobiography ‘I am Vidya’.
The actor’s hard-hitting performance as a transgender person, shunned by family and society, earned him the national award. “He would live his characters. It’s a rare quality for an actor. He was also a kind soul,” Lingadevaru told DH on Monday.
Born as Vijay Kumar B, his acting skills were first honed by parents Basavarajaiah and Gowramma, who were active in performing arts. Making education his priority, Vijay studied engineering and taught computer science to diploma students.
His decision to focus on acting brought him to Sanchari Theatre, a drama troupe established here in 2004. This association earned him the screen name Sanchari Vijay.
Vijay struggled to find his footing in the film industry without any godfathers. However, his association with director Mansore changed the course of his career. In Mansore’s Harivu, Vijay produced a moving performance as a farmer who comes to Bengaluru to get treatment for his terminally ill son. The film won a national award in 2015.
Nathicharami, another national award-winning film by Mansore, reminded us of Vijay’s abilities. In a sensitive take on women's sexuality, Vijay brilliantly underplayed his character of a middle-aged man troubled by an unhappy marriage.
In his 25-film career, there was a conscious effort to make a mark in complete commercial films. He aced the role of a cop in 6ne Maili (2018) and Gentleman (2019). His last best show came as a visually impaired person in Krishna Tulasi (2018). This showed that essaying complex characters was his forte.
A promising career was cruelly cut short by a road accident. The Kannada film industry mourned Vijay’s passing and remembered not just his talent but also his hard work and generosity.