The Karnataka government has decided to honour late actor Puneeth Rajkumar the 'Karnataka Ratna Award,' Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said. The late actor, who was popularly known as 'Power Star,' will be awarded the state’s highest civilian honour posthumously, the government has announced. The Chief Minister made the announcement at a special event called ‘Puneeth Namana’ held in Bengaluru on Tuesday, November 16. The event was held at Palace Grounds in Bengaluru to celebrate late actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s life and his contributions to Kannada cinema.
The event was attended by many from the Kannada film industry as well as several other ministers and politicians. The event was also telecast live on television.
Puneeth Rajkumar, aged 46, passed away on October 29 after a massive and fatal heart attack. Puneeth was the youngest son of legendary Kannada actor Dr Rajkumar. He was laid to rest with state honours in the presence of his 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.
"State Government has decided to honour late Sri Puneet Rajkumar with Karnataka Ratna award posthumously": Chief Minister @BSBommai.
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) November 16, 2021
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.