Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Aug 17: Actor Ananya Raj, who appeared in Hindi films including 7 Hours to Go, The Final Exit and Ghost, has died at the age of 27. Her family confirmed her death on Sunday, Aug 16, revealing that she had been dealing with physical and mental health difficulties for more than a year.
According to a statement shared by her family on Instagram, Ananya died peacefully in her sleep in the early hours of July 15. The family chose to make the announcement a month later and requested privacy as they grieve her loss.
The family said Ananya had been facing health-related difficulties for over a year but continued to confront them with strength and determination.
“This is Ananya's family. With great pain, we have to announce that Ananya passed away in the wee hours of July 15. She passed away peacefully in her sleep. For over a year, she was going through physical and mental discomfort. And she fought like a warrior to overcome them,” the family said.
Describing her as a strong-spirited person who lived life on her own terms, the family added, “She was a strong-spirited girl and lived like a Queen. Bachcha, your absence will be dearly felt.”
The family also urged those who knew and admired Ananya to pray for her soul and appealed to everyone to respect their wish for privacy and quietude during the difficult period.
The announcement prompted an outpouring of condolences on Ananya's social media posts, with fans and people who had followed her work expressing shock and remembering the actor.
Ananya made her Bollywood debut with 7 Hours to Go in 2016. The film starred Shiv Panditt, Sandeepa Dhar and Varun Badola among others.
She subsequently appeared in The Final Exit in 2017 and Ghost in 2019. Though her Hindi filmography was relatively limited, she also worked in regional cinema as she pursued a career in the entertainment industry.
Ananya was part of the Telugu film Thaggede Le and also appeared in the trilingual project Madrasi Gang.
Details about her personal health struggles were not widely known before her family's announcement.
Her untimely death at 27 has left fans and members of the entertainment fraternity mourning the loss of a young actor whose career was still developing.