Kichcha Sudeep says it's hard to look at his mother's empty chair almost a year after her death: ‘Grief feels new’

At a recent event, Kichcha Sudeep opened up about how difficult his mother Saroja Sanjeev's death has been on the family. Here's what he said.

Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep’s mother, Saroja Sanjeev, died in Bengaluru on October 20, 2024, at the age of 86. The actor opened up about how difficult her death has been on him and his family in a candid moment at a recent event. The actor remarked that it’s difficult for him to even look at her pictures now. Here’s what he said.

Kichcha Sudeep's mother, Saroja Sanjeev, died at age 86 in Bengaluru last year.

Kichcha Sudeep on mom’s death

Ahead of his birthday on September 2, Sudeep attended an event held in his honour in Bengaluru. While there, he was asked about how he is coping with the death of his mother, and he said, “I have heard how grief feels, but this is very new to me.”

The actor spoke of how memories of his mother make him emotional: “It is hard for me to come downstairs at home and see an empty chair—the chair my mother always sat on. I look at photos from a year ago and recall the times I spent with my mother. I get very emotional. It happens unintentionally and is beyond my control.”

Sudeep also stated that Saroja’s death has been all the more difficult on his father, Sanjeev. He said, “What’s harder, though, is seeing my father, who was married to my mother for over 50 years, go through this grief. It has been extremely difficult.”

Kichcha Sudeep’s mother’s death

Last year, when Sudeep’s mother died, pictures and videos of him breaking down circulated online. His daughter, Sanvi, called those circulating them ‘inhumane’ and pointed out that the family deserved privacy. The actor revealed later that he shot Bigg Boss Kannada during his mom’s hospitalisation, stating he felt ‘helpless’ when he heard of it.

Sudeep was last seen in the 2024 Kannada film Max, apart from playing cameos in Ravi Bopanna and Kabzaa. He will soon star in Mark and Billa Ranga Baasha.