Puneeth Rajkumar, Kannada cinema’s reigning star and celebrity television host died in Bengaluru on Friday following a massive heart attack, hospital said. Known for films such as Appu, Veera Kannadiga and Maurya, the actor was survived by his wife Ashwini Revanth and two daughters Dhriti and Vanditha. He was 46.
A fitness enthusiast, Puneeth was rushed to Vikram Hospital after he complained of chest pain following a two-hour workout in the gym. He died shortly after.
He was the son of much loved matinee idol Rajkumar but quickly outgrew his father’s shadow to carve a place all his own in the Kannada showbiz industry. Restless crowds of stunned fans milled around the hospital complex as news came in of the sudden death of the actor.
Puneeth’s body will be kept at the Kanteerava Stadium to enable the public to pay their last respects, state minister R Ashoka told reporters. Puneeth’s last rites will be performed with full state honours and the family will decide when it will happen.
However, a government order later said his last rites will be performed at the Kanteerava Studio where his parents’ Dr Rajkumar and Parvathamma were cremated. The last rite, according to government sources, will be performed on Sunday, as the family awaits the arrival of Puneeth’s daughter, who is staying abroad.
‘At the time of arrival to the emergency, the patient was unresponsive and was in cardiac asystole. Hence, immediate advanced cardiac life support measures were initiated for resuscitation…’The panel of medical experts extended all efforts to save him. He was declared dead at 2.30 pm on 29.10.2021,’ read the statement by Dr Ranganath Nayak, a cardiologist at Vikram Hospital.
Condolences at the death of the actor, who began his career as a child artist appearing in movies such as Thayige Thakka Maga and Bhagyavantha, poured in from political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, colleagues in the southern film industry as well as those in Bollywood — their messages echoing his legions of fans grieving the hero who had gone too soon.
Meanwhile, with the crowd outside Vikram Hospital and also his residence in Sadashivnagar growing larger, offices and shops in the IT capital have been shut down for the time being in order to exercise control.
Puneeth Rajkumar’s mortal remains were taken to his residence in Bengaluru around 4 p.m. in the evening of the 29th October. Fans were found already waiting in massive numbers, owing to which ample police battalions were deployed by the state govt. in anticipation of a furor. The city has reached a point of high alert today.
