Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar, who suffered a heart attack earlier in the day and was admitted to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru, has passed away. He was 46. The news has shocked many celebrities and fans alike, and condolences have been pouring in from all corners.
Puneeth became a hero with Appu (2002), after which his fans fondly called him Appu. Some of his famous films include Abhi, Veera Kannadiga, Ajay, Arasu, Raam, Hudugaru and Anjani Putra, among others. He was last seen in Santhosh Anandrram's 'Yuvarathnaa', which released early this year. The movie starred Puneeth Rajkumar and Sayyeshaa in lead roles.
The actor who is also known as 'Power Star', suffered a heart attack while he was working out at the gym on October 29. He was rushed to Vikram Hospital after he complained of chest pain and has been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai also reached Vikram Hospital to check on Puneeth Rajkumar.
Many fans and celebrities who were praying for his speedy recovery, were taken by shock by the news of his death. Actors Khushbu Sundar, Lakshmi Manchu, Sonu Sood, Rahman, Nivetha Thomas and many others took to Twitter to share their grief about his passing.
Puneeth is the son of legendary actor Rajkumar and Parvathamma. The ace-actor who started his career as a child artist, won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for his performance in Bettada Hoovu in 1985. He also won the Karnataka State Award for Best Child Artist for his performances in Chalisuva Modagalu and Yeradu Nakshatragalu.
He has acted in more than 29 Kannada films in a career spanning two decades and has one of the largest fanbases in the Kannada film industry. He had recently wrapped shooting for Chethan Kumar's 'James', alongside Priya Anand. He was also working on the thriller 'Dvitva', directed by Pawan Kumar, alongside Trisha.
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