Kannada film star Puneet Rajkumar passed away after suffering cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on Friday. He was 46-year-old. Earlier today, the power star was rushed to the Vikram hospital as he complained of severe chest pain during the workout.
Puneeth was one of the biggest superstars of the Kannada film industry and his death shocked the entire country. Fans and film stars remain in shock as the Karnataka government shuts down theatres in tribute to Puneeth Rajkumar.
Here are some lesser-known facts about Kannada superstar:
1.) How he got his name “Appu”: Puneeth Rajkumar made his debut as a hero with Appu in 2002. After the film's success, fans fondly called him Appu.
Appu is a 2002 romantic action film, written and directed by Puri Jagannadh. The film was produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar under the name of Poornima Enterprises.
Puneeth Rajkumar was the male lead alongside actress Rakshita and supporting actors Avinash, Srinivasa Murthy, Sumithra, Ashok, Satyajith, Prithviraj, Vinayak Joshi, and Honnavalli Krishna in the film.
Also Read: Teary-eyed fans remember best performances of late Puneeth Rajkumar; Here are his top 5 films
2.) Who is “Lolith”: Puneeth Rajkumar was referred to as Lolith, by birth. He has worked in nearly 15 films as a child artist, he has also won an Award for Best Child Artist in 1985 for the film Bettada Hoovu.
3.) Rajkumar and his wife had a traditional “rom-com love story”: Puneeth Rajkumar met his wife, Ashwini Revanth, through a mutual friend, much like a traditional rom-com story. The couple started off as friends, fell in love and married on December 1, 1999.
4.) A man with a “Golden Heart”: Puneeth Rajkumar believed in helping others and used to generously donate to charities and foundations. Last year, the actor had donated Rs 50 lakh to the CM Relief Fund to aid the state in its fight against Covid-19.
The prior year, Puneeth had donated Rs 5 lakh to the Chief Minister's Natural Calamity Relief Fund to assist flood victims in North Karnataka.
Like his late father Dr Rajkumar, the actor donated his eyes after his death.
Also Read: Man of Golden Heart! Let's dive into late Puneeth Rajkumar's social work
5.) Favourite song – “I’m a Disco Dance”: Not just singing, the late actor was fond of dancing as well. Appu’s favourite song was Mithun Chakraborty's “I Am A Disco Dancer”, from the 1982 film Disco Dancer.