Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar passes away

The actor was reportedly working out in his gym when he collapsed suddenly and was rushed to a hospital immediately. Puneeth was later admitted to Vikram Hospital and was receiving treatment in the intensive care unit until the devastating news came. He was 46 years old at the time.

The news of his passing has shaken the entire film fraternity with many of Puneeth Rajkumar's peers and closed ones reaching the hospital premises. Puneeth's older brother Shiva Rajkumar and family members were seen entering the hospital while actors Yash, Darshan, and many others too reached soon after. Karnataka C.M.

Popularly known as the Powerstar, Puneeth Rajkumar was an incredibly beloved superstar whose endeavors as a film producer too received tremendous appreciation from everyone. On the work front, Puneeth had recently wrapped up the shoot of 'James' with director Chethan Kumar and was to begin work on the much-awaited collaboration with Pawan Kumar on 'Dvitva'. His most recent release is 'Yuvarathnaa'.

Sandalwood's Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar will always be remembered as the gentleman star. His gracious and humble nature is what people have loved him most for. The actor has always been an inspiration for many generations of actors and his career in showbiz began right from his young age.

Puneeth began as a child actor, with his birth name Lohith, in films alongside his father late matinee idol Dr Rajkumar. He then grew up to pursue business, before he returned to his original love, acting. Puneeth's debut film Appu, a college action love story, was a runaway hit .He followed this up with a quick succession of hits and remained on top.

He also was one of the few stars who always was game to experiment with stories that were different from the usual commercial genre. This included Prithvi, where he played the role of an upright IAS officer or Paramathma, which had him away from his usual action stunts. He excelled in all roles and gave people memorable performances.

With Raajakumara, he paid a tribute to his father's most loved film Kasturi Nivasa, which was a big hit with critics, fans and did well at the box office too. He was currently shooting for James and was all set to experiment with yet another interesting script, Dvitva, which was to be helmed by maverick Pawan Kumar.

On the smallscreen he hosted Kannadada Kotiyadhipathi, and emerged as a successful host with his encouraging and gentle nature.

Puneeth also had emerged the first brand to make a mark on the streaming platforms too with two OTT releases during the lockdown last year. His production house have three more direct OTT films lined up. Puneeth and wife Ashwini personally curate each of the scripts and wanted to encourage newcomers in their production house. He also had launched a successful record label which kickstarted with the superhit music album Tagaru.

Puneeth was also set to try out something new with Gandhada Gudi, an action adventure documentary film that he had collaborated with the makers of Wild Karnataka. The film is ready and the teaser was to be launched on November 1. Puneeth had told Bangalore Times, "This is a film I am personally proud of backing and want viewers to watch on the big screen. I am keen to talk about it once we release the trailer and everyone understands what it is about."

Puneeth is survived by his wife and two daughters. He also has two brothers and two sisters.

Team moviekoop express their shock over the sudden demise of the Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar. Our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and admirers. Om Shanti