Tamil superstar Rajinikanth and renowned Telugu actor Junior NTR will participate in the function where the Karnataka Ratna award will be conferred posthumously on late Kannada film actor Puneeth Rajkumar on November 1. Addressing reporters on Saturday, October 29, Revenue Minister R Ashoka said that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai wanted to make the Karnataka Ratna award show this year a memorable one. Accordingly, efforts were made over the past 10 days, he said, adding that Rajinikanth has agreed to participate in the event.
"Earlier, Rajinikanth was not willing (to attend the event) but two days ago, he gave his consent. He is from Karnataka. He was born and grew up here and worked as the Bangalore Transport Service bus conductor here. Today, he is recognised worldwide as a great actor," Ashoka said. "Similarly, Junior NTR has also agreed to participate. He too speaks Kannada because his mother is a Kannadiga," he said. Rajinikanth will attend the function as the chief guest.
The Karnataka Ratna award will be bestowed on Puneeth Rajkumar on Tuesday, November 1, at 4 pm. The event will take place on the steps of Vidhana Soudha where noted playback singer Vijay Prakash and his team will organise a musical event, Ashoka said, adding that nearly 5,000 passes will be issued.
The Karnataka Ratna award is the highest civilian honour conferred by the state of Karnataka, and is awarded in recognition of a person’s extraordinary contribution to any field. Puneeth’s father and Kannada icon Dr Rajkumar was also conferred the Karnataka Ratna in 1992.
Puneeth Rajkumar passed away unexpectedly on October 29, 2021, following a massive heart attack. His last film, Gandhada Gudi, released a day before his death anniversary on October 28, 2022, and opened to an emotional response from fans. Directed by Amoghavarsha, Gandhada Gudi is a docudrama that explores Karnataka’s rich wildlife. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai had announced a tax exemption for the film, and the pre-release event saw several politicians and film stars from across industries pay tribute to the late actor.