Kannada director Pardeep Raj passed away on Thursday morning due to Covid-19 related complications at the age of 46.He was admitted in a private Pondicherry hospital after he contracted the coronavirus a few days ago. He breathed his last at around 3AM.Raj is, reportedly, survived by his wife and two children.According to The Times of India, Raj had been struggling with diabetes for nearly fifteen years. However, he succumbed to many other health issues due to the deadly virus. Reports said that he suffered organ failure after contracting Covid.
Pradeep Raj, was fondly known for directing Kirataka, which starred Kannada star Yash and Oviya in lead roles. The romantic comedy drama was the 3000th Kannada film to be released. The movie not only received positive reviews from the critics but also managed to set the cash registers jingling upon its release at the box office. Yash also earned critical acclaim for his power-packed performance in Kirataka. Pradeep Raj also helmed Kichchu, which arrived in the cinema halls in 2018. The film starring Ragini Dwivedi, Sai Kumar and Abhinaya remained in headlines as it was late actor Dhruva Sharma's last project.