Hailing from Bengaluru, Karnataka, Soundarya initially aspired to become a doctor but ended up being an actor instead. Though she began her career in Kannada cinema, it was the Telugu film industry that recognised her potential and provided her with the opportunities she deserved. Soundarya , a prominent figure in Kannada cinema who also starred in several Hindi and South Indian films, tragically passed away in a private aircraft crash on April 17, 2004, aged 31. Sowmya Sathyanarayana, popularly known as Soundarya , was only 32 when she died. Soundarya primarily worked in Telugu films apart from Kannada, Tamil, Hindi and Malayalam cinema. Noted actress Ramya Krishnan who appeared on Zee5's Jayammu Nischayammu Raa chat show with Jagapathi Babu, spoke about her friend and co-star Soundarya , who had died in a chopper crash.