Actor Daniel Balaji (48), who primarily worked in the Tamil cinema industry, passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on Friday, March 29, due to a cardiac arrest. Balaji debuted in Radhika Sarathkumar’s popular Tamil Television series Chithi (1999) in which he played the character Daniel, eventually earning him his screen name Daniel Balaji. The late actor is popularly known for playing Amudhan in Gautham Vasudev Menon’s Kamal Haasan starrer Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu (2006) and for his roles in Vada Chennai (2018) and Kaakha Kaakha (2003).
Daniel Balaji initially worked on the sets of Kamal Hassan’s Marudhanayagam, an unfinished historical drama filmed in the early 1990s. The actor later worked in television and debuted in films with SS Stanley’s April Maadhathil (2004). He starred in several Tamil films in significant roles including Vijay’s Bigil and Bairavaa.
Balaji has acted in Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam films. He is also related to the late actor Murali, known for his comical performance in Sundhara Travels (2002) alongside actor Vadivelu.
Daniel Balaji was last seen as ‘Thuraipandi’ in the 2023 action film Ariyavan.