The South film industry and fans have been left devastated after the sudden death of actor Puneeth Rajkumar. The 46-year-old star was taken to a Bengaluru hospital after a heart attack; some hours later, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai tweeted: "I am deeply shocked that Kannada celebrity Shri Puneeth Rajkumar died of a heart attack. The death of Kannadigar's favourite actor, Appu, has caused enormous loss to Kannada and Karnataka and I pray that God will have mercy on his soul and give his fans the power to endure this pain."
Puneeth Rajkumar was the son of veteran Kannada actor Rajkumar and enjoyed a massive fan following not just in Karnataka but also in the other south Indian states. Known as Appu among fans, Puneeth Rajkumar was also a singer, producer and television presenter. Puneeth, who was named Lohit at birth, was born to Rajkumar and Parvathamma Rajkumar in Chennai in 1975.
Puneeth Rajkumar's tryst with cinema began when he was just six-months-old. At this tender age, Puneeth was cast in the 1976 thriller Premada Kanike. Following this, he continued acting as a child artist and even went on to win the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor for the 1982 film Chalisuva Modagalu.
Having proved that he was born to act, Puneeth Rajkumar made his debut as a hero with Appu in 2002 and the character became synonymous with the actor, who was then called Appu by fans.
With continued successes, Puneeth Rajkumar went on to enjoy hits year after year. In 2017, he broke box-office records with the film Raajakumara.
In addition to movies, Puneeth Rajkumar has also sung in several films and served as the host for the first season of Kannadada Kotyadhipati, the Telugu edition of game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? In addition to this, he is also the founder and owner of the music label PRK Audio.
Puneeth's death came as a shock for legions of fans as well as his colleagues. Tributes and condolence messages are flowing in from all quarters.
Puneeth Rajkumar is survived by his wife, Ashwini Revanth and two daughters Drithi and Vanditha.
Post your tribute to Puneeth Rajkumar here.