On April 17, 2004, Indian cinema lost one of its brightest stars — Soundarya, an acclaimed actress who had made her mark across Telugu, Kannada, Tamil, Hindi, and Malayalam films. Best remembered nationally for her role alongside Amitabh Bachchan in Sooryavansham (1999), Soundarya was not only a beloved performer but also a woman of great promise in public life. Her untimely death at 32 shocked the entire nation.
That fateful day, Soundarya, who was seven months pregnant, boarded a single-engine Cessna 180 aircraft at the Jakkur airstrip near Bengaluru. Accompanying her were her brother Amarnath, BJP worker Ramesh Kadam, and pilot Joy Philips. She was en route to Karimnagar, then in Andhra Pradesh, to campaign for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the general elections. Soundarya had recently joined the party and was seen as a strong voice from South India.
Just five minutes after takeoff at 11:05 AM, tragedy struck. The plane reportedly climbed to around 150 feet before taking a steep left turn. The aircraft stalled, crashed onto the campus of the Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra of the University of Agricultural Sciences, and burst into flames. Witnesses on the ground said the plane appeared to wobble before impact. BN Ganapathi, a field worker nearby, rushed to help but found all passengers already charred beyond recognition. The fire left no room for identification, and all four onboard were killed instantly.
The loss prompted nationwide mourning. Then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna, and BJP leader Arun Jaitley publicly expressed their grief. The BJP canceled all public programs for the day in Bengaluru. Soundarya had only been married a year earlier to software engineer Sridhar, making the loss even more poignant.
Two decades later, Soundarya's tragic death has resurfaced in headlines due to a startling allegation. A police complaint has been filed in Khammam district of Andhra Pradesh by a man named Chittimallu, who claims her death was not an accident but a premeditated murder. He has linked the alleged conspiracy to a property dispute involving prominent Telugu actor Mohan Babu.
While no substantial evidence has yet been publicly revealed to support these claims, the complaint has reignited interest in a case long considered a heartbreaking accident. The aviation investigation in 2004 had attributed the crash to a mechanical failure and poor flight control shortly after takeoff.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
