Members from the Kannada film fraternity as well as politicians from Karnataka are gearing up to pay their tributes and to celebrate late actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s life and his contributions to Kannada cinema in a special event on November 16. The three-hour event is scheduled from 3 pm till 6 pm at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Titled ‘Puneeth Namana,’ the event is being held by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) in association with Sandalwood Film Actors’ and Technicians’ Associations.
Speaking to TNM, a source from KFCC confirmed that the event will be attended by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai as well as several other ministers and politicians. Everyone from the Rajkumar family will be present at the event. Celebrities from Kannada cinema, as well as from Kollywood and Tollywood, are expected to attend the event. The event is likely to see almost 1,500 guests and ‘Puneeth Namana’ will be telecast live on television.
Puneeth Rajkumar died in a massive heart attack, aged 46, on October 29. Puneeth Rajkumar, son of legendary Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar, was laid to rest with state honours in the presence of family, friends, elected representatives and fans at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru on Sunday, October 31. His untimely demise left many in shock. Fans, celebrities and politicians mourned the loss of the multifaceted actor on social media.
Popularly known as ‘Power Star ', Puneeth was one of the biggest stars of Kannada cinema. He is survived by his wife Ashwini and their two daughters. Puneeth forayed into acting as a child artist and has delivered several hits in the past decades such as Appu (2002), Abhi (2003), Veera Kannadiga (2004), Mourya (2004), Aakash (2005), Ajay (2006), Arasu (2007), Milana (2007), Vamshi (2008), Raam (2009), Jackie (2010), Hudugaru (2011), Raajakumara (2017), and Anjani Putra (2017). Puneeth also bagged the National Award for Best Child Artist for Bettada Hoovu in 1985.