Gone too soon, Appu! Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar leaves behind a rich legacy of films and songs

October 29 should have been a happy day for the members of the Rajkumar family; it was after all the release day of Shivarajkumar’s first film since the pandemic, Bhajarangi 2. But before they could enjoy the happy occasion, like a bolt from the blue, came news of the youngest Rajkumar son, Puneeth’s untimely passing, following a massive heart attack. The saddest bit was that this passing came only hours after he had taken to social media to wish the team of Bhajarangi 2 all the best.

It was a truly unbelievable bit of news – Puneeth was, after all, the most health conscious of the siblings. And sadly, his end came during a workout session. According to sources, Puneeth felt uneasy on the treadmill and was rushed to hospital, where although he was in complete cardiac arrest, all efforts were made to revive him over three hours, after which he was declared dead. Although rumours of his passing did the rounds around noon, official word came much later, as hospital authorities made arrangements to honour his wishes to donate his eyes.

Puneeth, who was fondly known as Appu, was in the midst of the making of his film James and was to do another film, Dvitva, with filmmaker Pawan Kumar, at the time of his passing. He was also counting down to the trailer launch of an adventure film called Gandadha Gudi that he had made along with Wild Karnataka maker, Amoghavarsha, which was expected on November 1. The actor, who began his filmi career as a child artiste and even won a National Award for Best Child Artiste in Bettada Hoovu, was not only one of the biggest stars in Kannada cinema, but also an accomplished singer, with multiple hit numbers to his credit. As a producer too the actor’s banner has been making valuable contributions to Kannada cinema.

Puneeth broke into the ranks of leading men in 2002, with the hit Appu, and has, till date, 29 films to his credit, including Milana, Prithvi, Jackie, Power, Ranavikrama, Doddamane Huduga, Raajakumara, Yuvarathnaa, etc. In his career spanning almost two decades as an adult, Puneeth won Karnataka State Film Awards Best Actor for Milan and Jackie, beside multiple Filmfare award wins.

Despite his star status, Puneeth was one of the most down-to-earth actors in the Kannada film industry, who always had a smile for everyone. And that is what those who knew him personally will remember him by – his happy smiling face and humility. Rest in peace, Puneeth. You will be missed!