Puneeth Rajkumar (17 March 1975 – 29 October 2021), colloquially known as Appu, was an Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter, and producer, who worked in
Kannada cinema
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...
. He was the youngest son of actor and matinee idol
Dr. Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian ci ...
, He was one of the most popular actors in Kannada cinema. He was the lead in 30 films; as a child, he appeared in many films. His performances in ''
Vasantha Geetha
''Vasantha Geetha'' is a 1980 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film, directed by the Dorai–Bhagavan duo. The film stars Rajkumar, Gayathri and Master Lohith.
The story, lyrics and screenplay were written by Chi. Udaya Shankar. The mov ...
'' (1980), ''
Bhagyavantha'' (1981), ''
Chalisuva Modagalu
''Chalisuva Modagalu'' () is a 1982 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Rajkumar, Saritha, Ambika and K. S. Ashwath and Puneeth Rajkumar as a child artiste. The movie is well known for its evergreen ...
'' (1982), ''
Eradu Nakshatragalu'' (1983), ''
Bhakta Prahaladha'', ''
Yarivanu
''Yaarivanu'' () is a 1984 Indian Kannada-language thriller film, directed by Dorai–Bhagavan and produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar. The film stars Rajkumar, Srinath, B. Saroja Devi, Roopa Devi, Hema Choudhary and Puneeth Rajkumar. The screenp ...
'' and ''
Bettada Hoovu
''Bettada Hoovu'' () is a 1985 Indian Kannada-language film directed by N. Lakshminarayan, based on the Shirley L. Arora's novel ''What then, Raman?''. Produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar, it stars her son Puneeth Rajkumar in the lead role. Puneet ...
'' (1985) were praised.
He won the
National Film Award for Best Child Artist
The National Film Award for Best Child Artist is one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one of several awards pr ...
for his role of Ramu in ''Bettada Hoovu''.
He also won
Karnataka State Award Best Child artist for ''Chalisuva Modagalu'' and ''Eradu Nakshatragalu''. Puneeth's first lead role was in 2002's
''Appu''. He was conferred with the Doctorate by
Mysuru University. The
Karnataka Government
The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as, GoK, or simply Karnataka Government, is a democratically-elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka. The governor who is appointed ...
conferred the state's highest civilian award,
Karnataka Ratna
The Karnataka Ratna is the highest civilian honour of the State of Karnataka, India. It is awarded in recognition of a person's extraordinary contribution in any field. It was instituted in the year 1992 by Chief Minister S Bangarappa by the Go ...
, to Puneeth Rajkumar on 1 November 2022, posthumously.
He had been called, by the media and fans, "Power Star". His films as an actor are primarily of the
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
genre, but the films produced by him under the
PRK Productions
PRK Productions is an Indian film production company founded by Puneeth Rajkumar and managed by his wife, Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar.
History
PRK Productions was founded on 20 July 2017. The production house made its feature film debut with '' ...
banner are of the
comedy drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple co ...
genre, with the theme of
family relationships
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
and conveying a social message. He appeared as a lead actor in many commercially successful films, including
''Appu'' (2002),
''Abhi'' (2003), ''
Veera Kannadiga
''Veera Kannadiga'' () is a 2004 Indian Kannada-language action drama film starring Puneeth Rajkumar and Anita Hassanandani. The film was simultaneously made in Telugu as ''Andhrawala'' starring Jr. NTR. The movie was a commercial success.
Plo ...
'' (2004), ''
Mourya'' (2004), ''
Aakash
Akasha or Akash (Sanskrit ' ) means space or sky or æther in traditional Indian cosmology, depending on the religion. The term has also been adopted in Western occultism and spiritualism in the late 19th century. In many modern Indo-Aryan l ...
'' (2005), ''
Ajay'' (2006), ''
Arasu'' (2007), ''
Milana'' (2007), ''
Vamshi'' (2008), ''
Raam'' (2009), ''
Jackie'' (2010), ''
Hudugaru
''Hudugaru'' ( Boys) is a 2011 Kannada-language drama film directed by K. Madesh, starring Puneeth Rajkumar, Srinagar Kitty, Yogesh (actor), Yogesh and Radhika Pandit in the lead roles. The film, which is a remake of the successful 2010 Tamil fil ...
'' (2011), ''
Power
Power most often refers to:
* Power (physics), meaning "rate of doing work"
** Engine power, the power put out by an engine
** Electric power
* Power (social and political), the ability to influence people or events
** Abusive power
Power may a ...
'' (2014), ''
Rana Vikrama
''Rana Vikrama'' is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film directed by Pavan Wadeyar featuring Puneeth Rajkumar in a dual role, Anjali and Adah Sharma. The film released on 10 April 2015. The soundtrack of the film was released on 2 ...
'' (2015), ''
Raajakumara
''Raajakumara'' () is a 2017 Indian Kannada language action drama film written and directed by Santhosh Ananddram and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the Hombale Films banner. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Priya Anand in lead roles. Apart fro ...
'' (2017), ''
Anjani Putra
''Anjani Putra'' () is an Indian Kannada-language action film directed by A. Harsha and produced by M. N. Kumar. The film features Puneeth Rajkumar and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles while Ramya Krishna, Mukesh Tiwari, P. Ravi Shankar and Chi ...
'' (2017), ''
Natasaarvabhowma
''Natasaarvabhowma'' ( Emperor of actors) is a 2019 Indian Kannada language action horror film written and directed by Pavan Wadeyar and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. The film stars Puneeth Rajkumar, Anupama Parameswaran and Rachita Ram in ...
(2019),
Yuvarathnaa
''Yuvarathnaa'' () is a 2021 Indian Kannada-language action drama film written and directed by Santhosh Ananddram. produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the banner Hombale Films, it stars Puneeth Rajkumar, Sayyeshaa, Dhananjay, Prakash Raj, Diganth ...
(2021)'' and ''
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
'' (2022). His last silver screen appearance, a
Docu-drama
Docudrama (or documentary drama) is a genre of television show, television and feature film, film, which features Drama (film and television), dramatized Historical reenactment, re-enactments of actual events. It is described as a hybrid of docum ...
''
Gandhada Gudi
''Gandhada Gudi'' () is a 1973 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Vijay and produced by M. P. Shankar. Rajkumar in his 150th film portrays an honest forest officer Kumar while Vishnuvardhan plays the antagonist, Anand, t ...
'' where he played himself was released on 28th October coincidentally marking his first death anniversary.
He was one of the most famous celebrities and one of the highest paid actors in
Kannada cinema
Kannada cinema, also known as Sandalwood, or Chandanavana, is the segment of Indian cinema dedicated to the production of motion pictures in the Kannada language widely spoken in the state of Karnataka. The 1934 film ''Sati Sulochana'' directed ...
. In 2012, he debuted as a television presenter on the game show ''
Kannadada Kotyadhipati
''Kannadada Kotyadhipati'' ( kn, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕೋಟ್ಯಧಿಪತಿ, , Kannada's Crorepati) is an Indian Kannada language quiz game show, produced by BIG Synergy.
Background
After a series of fresh ideas in reality and fiction ...
'', a Kannada version of ''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...
''.
Post his eye donation,
Narayana Nethralaya recorded 85,000 pledges within one year as against 65,000 pledges in 28 years.
Personal life
Puneeth (born Lohith) was born in
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
to the
matinee idol Dr. Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian ci ...
and
Parvathamma Rajkumar
Dr.Parvathamma Rajkumar (6 December 1939 – 31 May 2017) was an Indian film producer and distributor. She was the wife of veteran Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar. She produced successful films featuring Rajkumar and their sons Shiva Rajkumar, Punee ...
on 17 March 1975. He was their fifth and youngest child. When Puneeth was six years old, his family moved to
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
. His father brought him and his sister Poornima to his film sets until he was ten years old.
His elder brothers,
Shiva Rajkumar
Nagaraju Shiva Puttaswamy (born 12 July 1962) known by his screen name Shiva Rajkumar, is an Indian actor, producer and television presenter, predominantly works in Kannada cinema. and
Raghavendra Rajkumar
Raghavendra Rajkumar (born 15 August 1965) is an Indian actor, singer and producer of Kannada cinema. He is the son of actor Dr. Rajkumar and film producer Parvathamma Rajkumar. He made his debut as a lead in the film ''Chiranjeevi Sudhakar'' ...
, are also professional actors.
Puneeth married Ashwini Revanth from
Chikmagalur
Chikmagalur, known officially as Chikkamagaluru, is a city and the headquarters of Chikmagalur district in the Indian state of Karnataka. Located on the foothills of the Mullayanagiri peak of the Western Ghats, the city attracts tourists from ...
on 1 December 1999. They met through a common friend, and have two daughters Drithi and Vanditha.
Acting career
1976–1989: As child actor
Director
V. Somashekar
Venkatappa Somashekhar (27 July 1937 – 22 August 2003) was an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter in Kannada and Malayalam cinema. In 40 years of his career as a director, he directed 49 films, including commercial successes such ...
cast Puneeth (then known as Lohith) onscreen when he was six months old in his thriller film ''
Premada Kanike
''Premada Kanike'' () is a 1976 Indian Kannada-language thriller film directed by V. Somashekhar and produced by Jayadevi. The film starred Rajkumar, Aarathi and Jayamala. The songs composed by Upendra Kumar were received extremely well and ...
'' (1976), and ''
Aarathi
Aarathi (born 1954) is an Indian actress who mainly acted in Kannada cinema, Kannada films during the 1970s and 1980s. She has won the Filmfare Awards South, Filmfare awards South and the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actress four times ...
''. This was followed by
Vijay's ''
Sanaadi Appanna
''Sanaadi Appanna'' is a 1977 Indian Kannada-language musical film directed by Vijay based on the novel ''Kuniyitu Hejje Naliyithu Gejje'' by Krishnamoorthy Puranik which was loosely based on the life of Bagalkote shehnai player Appanna (1876-1 ...
'' (1977), based on
Krishnamoorthy Puranik
Krishnamoorthy Puranik (5 September 1911 – 12 November 1985) was an Indian writer and poet who wrote in Kannada. He was the principal of a government high school in Gokak and was awarded the Karnataka Sahitya Academy Award for his work ''Manni ...
's novel of the same name, when Puneeth was one year old. ''
Thayige Thakka Maga
''Thayige Thakka Maga'' (''Like Mother Like Son'') is a 1978 Indian Kannada-language sports action film directed by V. Somashekhar and produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar. It is based on the story written by Anjaneya Pushpanand.
The film starr ...
'' (1978) was again directed by V. Somashekar and starred his father. Two years later, directors
Dorai–Bhagavan
Dorai–Bhagavan were an Indian filmmaking duo consisting of directors B. Dorai Raj (died 2000) and S. K. Bhagavan (born 1933), active mainly in Kannada cinema. They directed fifty films, most of which starred Dr. Rajkumar, Rajkumar and were hig ...
cast him as Shyam in ''
Vasantha Geetha
''Vasantha Geetha'' is a 1980 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film, directed by the Dorai–Bhagavan duo. The film stars Rajkumar, Gayathri and Master Lohith.
The story, lyrics and screenplay were written by Chi. Udaya Shankar. The mov ...
'' (1980). This was followed by
K. S. L. Swamy's mythological drama ''
Bhoomige Banda Bhagavantha
''Bhoomige Banda Bhagavantha'' is a 1981 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by K. S. L. Swamy (Ravee) and produced by S. P. Varadaraj and J. Chandulal Jain. The film stars Lokesh, Lakshmi, Jai Jagadish and Vajramuni. The film has musical sc ...
'' (1981, appearing as
Lord Krishna
Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one of ...
) and
B. S. Ranga
Bindiganavile Srinivas Iyengar Ranga (11 November 1917 – 12 December 2010) was an Indian photographer, actor, producer and director who has made many landmark movies in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil. He was also the owner of Vikram Studios. He ...
's ''
Bhagyavantha'' (1982), in which he recorded his first popular song: "Baana Daariyalli Soorya", composed by
T. G. Lingappa
Thiruchirappalli Govindarajulu Lingappa (22 August 1927 – 5 February 2000) was an Indian music director who worked predominantly in Kannada language films. He also worked in Tamil and Telugu movies. He was the son of G. Govindarajulu Naidu w ...
. That year, he appeared in two hit films (''
Chalisuva Modagalu
''Chalisuva Modagalu'' () is a 1982 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao. The film stars Rajkumar, Saritha, Ambika and K. S. Ashwath and Puneeth Rajkumar as a child artiste. The movie is well known for its evergreen ...
'' and ''
Hosa Belaku
''Hosa Belaku'' () is a 1982 Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by Dorai–Bhagavan duo. It is based on the novel of the same name by Vani. The film starred Rajkumar, Saritha, Mamatha Rao and K. S. Ashwath. The movie saw a theatrical ...
'') with his father. For the former, Puneeth received his first
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor (Male)
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor (Male) is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honours Kannada language films.
Key
Award winners
The following is a ...
. In 1983, he appeared in two mythological films:
''Bhakta Prahlada'' as the protagonist, Prahlada, and ''
Eradu Nakshatragalu'', for which he received his second Karnataka State Film Award for Best Child Actor.
In 1984, Puneeth starred with Rajkumar in the thriller ''
Yarivanu
''Yaarivanu'' () is a 1984 Indian Kannada-language thriller film, directed by Dorai–Bhagavan and produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar. The film stars Rajkumar, Srinath, B. Saroja Devi, Roopa Devi, Hema Choudhary and Puneeth Rajkumar. The screenp ...
'' and sang "Kannige Kaanuva", written by
Rajan–Nagendra
Rajan–Nagendra were an Indian musical duo who were prominent composers of film music in Kannada and Telugu cinema from the late 1950s to the early 1990s. Rajan, along with his brother Nagendra, created a niche for themselves for nearly four de ...
. His biggest break as a child actor came in the 1985 drama ''
Bettada Hoovu
''Bettada Hoovu'' () is a 1985 Indian Kannada-language film directed by N. Lakshminarayan, based on the Shirley L. Arora's novel ''What then, Raman?''. Produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar, it stars her son Puneeth Rajkumar in the lead role. Puneet ...
'', directed by N. Lakshminarayan and based on Shirley L. Arora's novel ''What Then, Raman?'' For his portrayal of the innocent Ramu, Puneeth received the award for
Best Child Artist at the
33rd National Film Awards
The 33rd National Film Awards, presented by Directorate of Film Festivals, the organisation set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India to felicitate the best of Indian Cinema released in the year 1985. Ceremony took place in Jun ...
. In his early teens, he appeared in ''
Shiva Mecchida Kannappa
Shiva Mecchida Kannappa () is a 1988 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Vijay. The film is a rehashed version of the 1954 film '' Bedara Kannappa'', the debut film of actor Rajkumar. Produced by Raghavendra Rajkumar, the film is about th ...
'' (1988) as the young Kannappa with his elder brother, Shiva. Puneeth's final child role was in
''Parashuram'' (1989), with his father.
In 1994, Puneeth began working as a manager in his family's production house. His first film as a manager was ''Geluvina Saradara'' (1996) starring Raghavendra.
2002–2007: Debut as lead and breakthrough
In April 2002, Puneeth made his film debut as a leading man in the film
''Appu'' with
actress
An actor or actress is a person who portrays a Character (arts), character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek ...
,
Rakshita
Shweta, known by her stage name Rakshita, is an Indian television personality, film producer and former actress known for her work in Kannada cinema.
Early life
Rakshita was brought up in Bangalore. Her father B. C. Gowrishankar was a cinemat ...
also making her film debut. The musical by
Gurukiran
Gurukiran or Gurukiran Shetty is an Indian music director of the Kannada film industry in India. He started his career as a music director of the Kannada movie '' A'', directed and acted by Upendra. His music for his next movie ''Upendra'' furt ...
, directed by
Puri Jagannadh
Petla "Puri" Jagannadh (born 28 September 1966) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, and producer, who works primarily in the Telugu film Industry. He made his directorial debut with the Telugu film '' Badri'' starring Pawan Kalyan, Renu ...
and produced by
Parvathamma Rajkumar
Dr.Parvathamma Rajkumar (6 December 1939 – 31 May 2017) was an Indian film producer and distributor. She was the wife of veteran Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar. She produced successful films featuring Rajkumar and their sons Shiva Rajkumar, Punee ...
, in which he played a college boy, was a box office success and critics praised his dancing skills. Puneeth sang "Taliban Alla Alla", with lyrics by
Upendra
Upendra (Devanagari: उपेन्द्र) is an Indian masculine given name. The meaning of the Sanskrit word ' is "younger brother of Indra" and refers to either Krishna or Vishnu, who as a son of Aditi (or in the Vamana avatar) was born subs ...
and music by
Gurukiran
Gurukiran or Gurukiran Shetty is an Indian music director of the Kannada film industry in India. He started his career as a music director of the Kannada movie '' A'', directed and acted by Upendra. His music for his next movie ''Upendra'' furt ...
. The film's success spawned remakes in Telugu (
Idiot
An idiot, in modern use, is a stupid or foolish person.
'Idiot' was formerly a technical term in legal and psychiatric contexts for some kinds of profound intellectual disability where the mental age is two years or less, and the person cannot ...
(2002)) and Tamil (
''Dum'' (2003)).
Puneeth next appeared in
Dinesh Babu
Dinesh Baboo (also known as Dinesh Babu) is an Indian film director, cinematographer, actor and screenwriter who works predominantly in Kannada cinema. In a career spanning five decades he has directed more than 40 films, filmed more than 20 fil ...
's ''
Abhi
Abhi (Devanagari अभि) is a preposition in Sanskrit, also found in Pali, Bengali, Assamese and Hindi. Today, it remains a productive element in forming names.
Origin
The first reference to the word "Abhi" is found in the ancient Hindu sacre ...
'' (2003) as a plucky college boy who is devoted to his mother. In the film, based on a true story and produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar, he starred with debutante
Ramya
Ramya (Sanskrit: रम्य) is a Sanskrit female given name, which means "pleasant" and "delightful".
Notable people
* Ramya (born 1982), Indian actress and politician
* Ramya Barna (born 1986), Indian actress
* Ramya Krishnan (born 1970), ...
.
Meher Ramesh's ''
Veera Kannadiga
''Veera Kannadiga'' () is a 2004 Indian Kannada-language action drama film starring Puneeth Rajkumar and Anita Hassanandani. The film was simultaneously made in Telugu as ''Andhrawala'' starring Jr. NTR. The movie was a commercial success.
Plo ...
'' was Puneeth's first 2004 release. The film, written by Puri Jagannadh, was simultaneously made in Telugu as ''
Andhrawala
''Andhrawala'' ( ''Andhrite'') is a 2004 Indian Telugu-language action film written and directed by Puri Jagannadh and starring N. T. Rama Rao Jr. playing a dual role, while Rakshitha, Sayaji Shinde, and Rahul Dev play important roles. Music wa ...
'' with
N. T. Rama Rao Jr.
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao Jr. (born 20 May 1983), also known as Jr. N.T.R. or Tarak, is an Indian actor who primarily works in Telugu cinema. One of the highest paid Telugu film actors, Rama Rao Jr. has won several accolades, including two Fil ...
in the lead role. Paired with debutante
Anitha, it showcased his dancing and stunt skills. Although the film was criticised for its violence and poor plot, it was successful at the box office. Puneeth next starred in
S. Narayan
S. Narayan (born 5 June 1962) is an Indian filmmaker, director, actor and lyricist of Kannada films. After Singeetam Srinivasa Rao, Narayan is the second director to direct Dr. Rajkumar and all his three sons. He has given many hits with Vishnu ...
's family drama
''Maurya'', a remake of the Telugu ''
Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi
''Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi'' () is a 2003 Indian Telugu-language sports drama film directed by Puri Jagannadh. The film stars Ravi Teja, Jayasudha, Asin Thottumkal (in her major Telugu debut), and Prakash Raj, while Ali, and Subbaraju play ...
'', starring
Ravi Teja
Bhupatiraju Ravi Shankar Raju (born 26 January 1968), known professionally as Ravi Teja, is an Indian film actor and producer who predominantly works in Telugu cinema. He is known for his roles in action comedy films. He is one of the highest- ...
and written by Puri Jagannadh. The remake enhanced Puneeth's reputation as an actor in his own right.
He released two films in 2005. Mahesh Babu's
''Aakash'' reunited Puneeth with Ramya (from ''Abhi'') and he appeared in Veera Shankar's action film ''
Namma Basava
''Namma Basava'' is a 2005 Indian Kannada language film directed by Veera Shankar Bairisetty. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Gowri Munjal (in her debut) in the lead roles. Avinash, Sudha Rani, Kota Srinivasa Rao, Riyaz Khan and M. N. Lakshmi ...
'', with
Gowri Munjal
Gowri Munjal (born 9 August 1985) is an Indian actress and model. She has frequently appeared in South Indian films and is probably best known for her performance as Mahalakshmi Somaraju in her debut film ''Bunny''.
Career
When she moved to M ...
. He recorded songs in both films. Puneeth's only 2006 release was
''Ajay'', directed by Meher Ramesh and produced by
Rockline Venkatesh
Thirupathi Narasimhalunaidu Venkatesh (born 23 March 1963), better known by his stage name Rockline Venkatesh, is an Indian actor and producer known for his works in Kannada, and Hindi cinemas. He is the founder and owner of the production and d ...
. In the film, a remake of the 2003 Telugu ''
Okkadu
''Okkadu'' ( ''The One'') is a 2003 Indian Telugu-language romantic action film written and directed by Gunasekhar. It stars Mahesh Babu, Bhumika Chawla and Prakash Raj. The film was produced by M.S. Raju while music was composed by Mani Sharma ...
'', he played a professional
''kabaddi'' player who protects a girl endangered by her uncle (played by
Prakash Raj
Prakash Raj (born Prakash Rai; 26 March 1965) is an Indian actor, film director, producer, television presenter, and politician. Known for his works in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and Malayalam-language films, he is the recipient of several ...
). As a result of these films, Puneeth was called the "Powerstar of Sandalwood".
Puneeth's first release in 2007 was his production
''Arasu'', directed by Mahesh Babu, in which he played an expatriate businessman who renounces his wealth for the woman he loves. For his performance, he received his first
Filmfare Best Actor award
The Filmfare Award for Best Actor is an award, begun in 1954, presented annually at the Filmfare Awards to an actor via a jury. This is given by ''Filmfare'' as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi (Bollywood) films. The award was first ...
. Puneeth's other release that year was
Prakash's reaffirmation of traditional family values
''Milana''. Actress Parvathy
Parvathy (actress) made her debut into Kannada films with this film. Puneeth played the
radio jockey
A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a rad ...
Akash. For the film, he received his first
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor
Karnataka State Film Award for Best Actor is a state film award of the Indian state of Karnataka given during the annual Karnataka State Film Awards. The award honours Kannada Language films.
Superlatives
Recipients
The first recipient was ...
.
2008–2015: Other films
The actor released two films in 2008:
D. Rajendra Babu
D. Rajendra Babu (30 March 1951 – 3 November 2013) was an Indian filmmaker and screenplay writer in Kannada cinema. He has directed over 50 films in various genres, most of them being sentimental films. He wrote and directed numerous blockbust ...
's
''Bindaas'' and Prakash's
''Vamshi''. Puneeth's first 2009 release was ''
Raaj – The Showman
''Raaj–The Showman'' is a 2009 Kannada language drama film starring Puneeth Rajkumar and Priyanka Kothari, who made her debut in Kannada films. The film was directed by Prem.
Plot
Muththuraj aka Raj, who stays happily with his parents in a v ...
''. Although the film (directed by
Prem) was criticised, his performance was praised. His other film
''Raam'', with
Priyamani
Priya Vasudev Mani Iyer (born 4 June 1984), known by her professional name Priyamani, is an Indian actress and former model, who works in the South Indian film industry. She is a recipient of Several Awards.
Priyamani made her acting debut t ...
, was a remake of the Telugu hit
Ready
Ready may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Ready'', a 2002 British short starring Imelda Staunton
* Ready (2008 film), ''Ready'' (2008 film), a Telugu film
* Ready (2011 film), ''Ready'' (2011 film), a Hindi remake of the Telugu film
* Ready ( ...
.
Puneeth returned to the limelight in 2010 with back-to-back hits. The first was Jacob Varghese's political thriller ''
Prithvi
Prithvi or Prithvi Mata (Sanskrit: पृथ्वी, ', also पृथिवी, ', "the Vast One") is the Sanskrit name for the earth, as well as the name of a devi (goddess) in Hinduism and some branches of Buddhism. In the Vedas, her conso ...
'', in which he played a bureaucrat in
Ballari district
Bellary, officially known as Ballari (pronounced ), is a major district in Karnataka. It is located at north-eastern part of Karnataka. This district belongs to Kalyana-Karnataka. This district was one of the biggest districts in Karnataka unt ...
who fights corruption. His next release was the action film ''
Jackie'', directed by
Duniya Soori
Suri/Soori known as Duniya Suri or Sukka Suri is an Indian movie director. He became known as Duniya Suri in the wake of the success of his debut movie '' Duniya'', for which he won the 2006–2007 Karnataka State Film Awards in the Best S ...
, which was a commercial success. In 2011, Puneeth co-starred in K. Madesh's ''
Hudugaru
''Hudugaru'' ( Boys) is a 2011 Kannada-language drama film directed by K. Madesh, starring Puneeth Rajkumar, Srinagar Kitty, Yogesh (actor), Yogesh and Radhika Pandit in the lead roles. The film, which is a remake of the successful 2010 Tamil fil ...
'', a remake of the Tamil film ''
Nadodigal
''Naadodigal'' () is a 2009 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by Samuthirakani and produced by S. Michael Rayappan under banner of Global Infotainment. The film stars Sasikumar along with Vijay Vasanth and Bharani, ...
'' in which he reprised
M. Sasikumar
Mahalingam Sasikumar (born 28 September 1974) is an Indian film director, actor, singer and producer. He worked as an assistant director for director Bala in '' Sethu'' (1999), also worked for director Ameer in his first two films ''Mounam Pe ...
's role in the original. For his performance, he received his second Filmfare and first
SIIMA
South Indian International Movie Awards, also known as the SIIMA Awards, rewards the artistic and technical achievements of the South Indian film industry. It was launched in 2012 by Vishnu Vardhan Induri and Brinda Prasad Adusimilli to appreci ...
Best Actor awards. In
Yogaraj Bhat
Yogaraj Bhat (born 8 October 1972) is an Indian Kannada film-maker, director, screenwriter, lyricist and producer. He is most known for the 2006 film ''Mungaru Male''. The film recorded the highest box-office collections in the history of Kannad ...
's travelogue
''Paramathma'', Puneeth's next release, his character searches for love.
He worked with Soori again in 2012 on the action film ''
Anna Bond'', produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar.
For his performance, he received the
Suvarna Best Actor award and was nominated for an IIFA award. Puneeth starred in another Tamil remake ''
Poraali
''Poraali'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil language action thriller film written and directed by Samuthirakani, starring Sasikumar in the lead role. The film also featuring Telugu actor Naresh and Swati alongside Niveda Thomas, Vasundhara, Soori a ...
'', filmed in Kannada as ''
Yaare Koogadali
''Yaare Koogadali'' is a 2012 Indian Kannada-language action film written and directed by Samuthirakani, starring Puneeth Rajkumar and Bhavana. Parvathamma Rajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar are producing the film under for Poornima Enterprises. ...
'', by
Samuthirakani
Samuthirakani (born 26 April 1973) is an Indian actor and film director who predominantly works in Tamil films and Telugu films besides appearing in a number of Malayalam films. He worked as an assistant to director K Balachander. He won the N ...
.
In 2014, Puneeth starred in Jayanth C. Paranjee's romance ''
Ninnindale
''Ninnindale'' () is an 2014 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy drama film directed by Jayanth C. Paranjee, a popular Telugu cinema film director making his debut in Kannada cinema. The film stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Erica Fernandes.Mut ...
'', with
Erica Fernandes
Erica Jennifer Fernandes is an Indian actress and model, who works in Indian television and films. She got her breakthrough with her television debut, portraying Dr. Sonakshi Bose in ''Kuch Rang Pyar Ke Aise Bhi''. Erica has also acted in many ...
. Although his performance as a New York-based adventure enthusiast based in New York was praised by critics, the film was unsuccessful at the box office. Puneeth's next release was K. Madesh's ''
Power***'', a remake of the Telugu film ''
Dookudu
''Dookudu'' () is a 2011 Indian Telugu-language action comedy film directed by Srinu Vaitla and written by Vaitla, Kona Venkat, and Gopimohan. It is produced by Ram Achanta, Gopi Achanta, and Anil Sunkara under the banner 14 Reels Entertainmen ...
''. Appearing with
Trisha
Trisha is a unisex given name, usually derived from the female Latin given name Patricia.
Notable people and characters with the name include:
People
*Trisha (actress), Indian film actress Trisha Krishnan (born 1983)
* Trisha Baptie (born 1973 ...
for the first time, he played a tough police officer. The film earned a record ₹22
crore
A crore (; abbreviated cr) denotes ten million (10,000,000 or 107 in scientific notation) and is equal to 100 lakh in the Indian numbering system. It is written as 1,00,00,000 with the local 2,2,3 style of digit group separators (one lakh is e ...
(220 million) in six days. In 2015, he played himself in B. M. Giriraj's film
''Mythri'', which also starred
Mohanlal
Mohanlal Viswanathan (born 21 May 1960), known mononymously as Mohanlal, is an Indian actor, film producer, playback singer, film distributor, and director who predominantly works in Malayalam cinema besides also having sporadically appeare ...
and
Bhavana
''Bhāvanā'' (Pali;Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 503, entry for "Bhāvanā," retrieved 9 December 2008 from "U. Chicago" a Sanskrit: भावना, also ''bhāvanā''Monier-Williams (1899), p. 755, see "Bhāvana" and "Bhāvanā", retriev ...
. Puneeth's other release that year was
Pawan Wadeyar
Pavan Wadeyar (born 10 December 1987) is an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist, actor and producer best known for his work in Kannada cinema. He is known for writing and directing ''Govindaya Namaha'' (2012), for which he won the S ...
's ''
Rana Vikrama
''Rana Vikrama'' is a 2015 Indian Kannada-language action thriller film directed by Pavan Wadeyar featuring Puneeth Rajkumar in a dual role, Anjali and Adah Sharma. The film released on 10 April 2015. The soundtrack of the film was released on 2 ...
'', an action film with
Adah Sharma
Adah Sharma (born 11 May 1992), is an Indian actress who mainly appears in Hindi and Telugu-language films. Sharma, after finishing her schooling, made her acting debut with a leading role in the 2008 Hindi language horror film ''1920'', a box ...
and
Anjali.
2016–2022
In March 2016, Puneeth worked for M. Saravanan's
''Chakravyuha'' and Duniya Soori's ''
Doddmane Hudga
''Doddmane Hudga'' is a 2016 Indian Kannada-language action drama film co-written and directed by Duniya Soori, featuring Puneeth Rajkumar and Radhika Pandit. The film also features an ensemble cast of Ambarish, Sumalatha, Bharathi Vishnuvardh ...
''. In 2017, he appeared in
Santhosh Ananddram
Santhosh Ananddram is an Indian film lyric writer, screenwriter, director who works in Kannada cinema. He rose to fame with his debut directional venture 2014 film ''Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari''. He later went on and directed Kannada Star Puneeth R ...
's ''
Raajakumara
''Raajakumara'' () is a 2017 Indian Kannada language action drama film written and directed by Santhosh Ananddram and produced by Vijay Kiragandur under the Hombale Films banner. It stars Puneeth Rajkumar and Priya Anand in lead roles. Apart fro ...
'', which broke all-records in box-office and became the highest-grossing Kannada-language film of all time beating previous record of ''
Mungaru Male
''Mungaru Male'' () is a 2006 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film co-written and directed by Yogaraj Bhat, and produced by E. Krishnappa. It stars Ganesh, Pooja Gandhi and Anant Nag. The film is believed to have shaped and strengthened t ...
'', later the record was taken up by the movie ''
K.G.F: Chapter 1''. He also had the starring role in
A Harsha's ''
Anjani Putra
''Anjani Putra'' () is an Indian Kannada-language action film directed by A. Harsha and produced by M. N. Kumar. The film features Puneeth Rajkumar and Rashmika Mandanna in lead roles while Ramya Krishna, Mukesh Tiwari, P. Ravi Shankar and Chi ...
'' alongside
Rashmika Mandanna
Rashmika Mandanna (born 5 April 1996) is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Telugu and Kannada films besides few Hindi and Tamil films. She is a recipient of four SIIMA Awards and a Filmfare Award South. She made her acting debut wi ...
, which was a remake of Tamil film ''
Poojai
''Poojai'' () is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action film written and directed by Hari, and produced by Vishal, who also played the lead role alongside an ensemble cast featuring Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj, Raadhika, Mukesh Tiwari, and Soori. Yu ...
''.
Puneeth Rajkumar has played narrator role in the
Anup Bhandari
Anup Bhandari is an Indian film director, composer and lyricist who works primarily in Cinema of Karnataka, Kannada cinema. He made his directorial début with the mystery thriller film ''Rangitaranga'', featuring his brother Nirup Bhandari, in ...
directed ''
Rajaratha
''Rajaratha'' is a 2018 Indian Kannada-language romantic comedy film written and directed by Anup Bhandari, who also composed the film's music. It stars Nirup Bhandari and Avantika Shetty in the lead roles in their second collaboration with the ...
''. In 2019 his film ''
Natasaarvabhowma
''Natasaarvabhowma'' ( Emperor of actors) is a 2019 Indian Kannada language action horror film written and directed by Pavan Wadeyar and produced by Rockline Venkatesh. The film stars Puneeth Rajkumar, Anupama Parameswaran and Rachita Ram in ...
'' was released and also had commercial success. His last film as a leading role, ''
James
James is a common English language surname and given name:
*James (name), the typically masculine first name James
* James (surname), various people with the last name James
James or James City may also refer to:
People
* King James (disambiguat ...
'', was posthumously released on what would have been Puneeth's 47th birthday, 17 March 2022. It broke the record for the biggest opening day collection, and was the fastest Kannada movie to gross 100 crores.
Other works
Puneeth was involved in philanthropy with his mother at the Shakti Dhama
ashram
An ashram ( sa, आश्रम, ) is a spiritual hermitage or a monastery
A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or a ...
in
Mysore
Mysore (), officially Mysuru (), is a city in the southern part of the state of Karnataka, India. Mysore city is geographically located between 12° 18′ 26″ north latitude and 76° 38′ 59″ east longitude. It is located at an altitude of ...
, and owned the Bengaluru Royals,
Premier Futsal
The Premier Futsal League was an Indian franchise-based futsal league conceptualised by Indian entrepreneurs under the entity of Premier Futsal Management Pvt. Ltd. It was founded by Abhinandan Balasubramanian, Dinesh Raj and Nithyashree Su ...
team.
Playback singing
Puneeth, just like his father, is one of very few actors who have excelled in professional singing too. He sang alone in ''Appu'', and sang a duet on "Jothe Jotheyali" from
''Vamshi''. He sang a fast number in ''
Jackie'' and sang in his brother Shiva's films '
''Lava Kusha'' and ''
Mylari
''Mylari'' ( kn, ಮೈಲಾರಿ) is a 2010 Kannada film that has Shiva Rajkumar and Sadha in the lead and is directed by R. Chandru of ''Taj Mahal'' (movie) fame.
Cast
* Shiva Rajkumar as Mylari
* Sadha as Anitha
* Sanjjanaa Galrani
...
''.
Puneeth Rajkumar has sung a song "Kanna Sanne Indhalene" for
''Akira'' movie which was composed by
B. Ajaneesh Loknath
B. Ajaneesh Loknath (born 20 November 1985) is an Indian composer who works predominantly for Kannada cinema. He received the Karnataka State Film Award for Best Music Director for his work in the film Ulidavaru Kandanthe in 2015. He is known f ...
. He has revealed that his compensation for singing for other than his home-productions goes to charity.
Television
In 2012, Puneeth hosted the first season of ''
Kannadada Kotyadhipati
''Kannadada Kotyadhipati'' ( kn, ಕನ್ನಡದ ಕೋಟ್ಯಧಿಪತಿ, , Kannada's Crorepati) is an Indian Kannada language quiz game show, produced by BIG Synergy.
Background
After a series of fresh ideas in reality and fiction ...
'', modelled on the Hindi show ''
Kaun Banega Crorepati
''Kaun Banega Crorepati'' (also simply known as ''KBC'') is an Indian Hindi-language television game show. It is the official Hindi adaptation of the ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' franchise. It has been presented by actor Amitabh Bachchan ...
'', which in turn, was modelled on the British show ''
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?
''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and ...
''.
Its first season was successful
and a second season followed. The success of second season was cited as a prime reason for Suvarna channel replacing Udaya TV from the top slot for the first time in 19 years. He again hosted the fourth season replacing
Ramesh Aravind
Ramesh Aravind is an Indian actor, director, screenwriter and television presenter who predominantly works in Kannada films and television. In a career of over 34 years, Aravind has been appeared in over 140 films including several Tamil and T ...
.
He also went to be the host of
Colors Kannada
Colors Kannada (previously known as ''ETV Kannada''), is an Indian general entertainment channel, owned by Viacom18 that primarily broadcasts Kannada language entertainment shows. This channel is currently available in India and the United Stat ...
's
reality show
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring unfamiliar people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 19 ...
, ''
Family Power''. He was producing a serial ''Netravathi'' in
Udaya TV Udaya may refer to
* Udaya Pictures, a movie company in Kerala.
* Udaya TV, a Kannada-language television channel
* Udaya Manikya, a 16th-century king of Tripura
Tripura (, Bengali: ) is a state in Northeast India. The third-smallest sta ...
.
Endorsements
Puneeth was a brand ambassador for
Karnataka Milk Federation
The Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) is a dairy cooperative from Karnataka, India, which sells products such as milk, curds, ghee, butter, ice cream, cholocates, and Sweets from the Indian subcontinent, sweets under the brand name Nandini.
It is ...
's Nandini Milk products, LED Bulb Project,
7 Up
7 Up (stylized as 7up outside North America) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo. 7 Up comp ...
(
PepsiCo
PepsiCo, Inc. is an American multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation headquartered in Harrison, New York, in the hamlet of Purchase. PepsiCo's business encompasses all aspects of the food and beverage market. It oversees the manuf ...
), F-Square, Dixcy Scott,
Malabar Gold and Diamonds
Malabar Gold and Diamonds is a BIS certified Indian jewellery group headquartered in Kozhikode, Kerala, India. It was founded by M. P. Ahammed in the year 1993. The company has more than 260 showrooms across 10 countries at present which mak ...
, Gold Winner, Ziox Mobile,
Pothys
Pothys is a chain of textile showrooms in South India. Originally they exclusively sold silk sarees, but today all types of garments are sold. The flagship store in Chennai is called Pothys' Palace.
History
Pothys (stylised as POTHYS) was ...
,
Flipkart
Flipkart Private Limited is an Indian e-commerce company, headquartered in Bengaluru, and incorporated in Singapore as a private limited company. The company initially focused on online book sales before expanding into other product categories ...
and
Manappuram,
and was a brand ambassador of the
Indian Premier League
The Indian Premier League (IPL), also known as TATA IPL for sponsorship reasons, is a men's T20 franchise cricket league of India. It is annually contested by ten teams based out of seven Indian cities and three Indian states. The leagu ...
cricket team
Royal Challengers Bangalore
Royal Challengers Bangalore (often abbreviated as RCB) are a franchise cricket team based in Bangalore, Karnataka, that plays in the Indian Premier League (IPL). It was founded in 2008 by United Spirits and named after the company's liquor b ...
.
PRK Audio
Puneeth was the founder and owner of the music label PRK Audio; the label's channel on
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
has 15.1 lakh subscribers as of 1 November 2022.
Death
![PuneethRajkumar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/05/PuneethRajkumar.jpg)
On 29 October 2021, Puneeth complained of uneasiness to his wife Ashwini, and died on his way to the hospital at the age of 46. The reason for his death was declared to be
cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...
.
He
donated his eyes in accordance with a pledge by his father Rajkumar, that he along with all his family members will donate their eyes after death. The donation of his eyes has given eyesight to four different people. His
state funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony, observing the strict rules of Etiquette, protocol, held to honour people of national significance. State funerals usually include much pomp and ceremony as well as religious overtones and distinctive ...
was attended by the
Chief Minister of Karnataka
The chief minister of Karnataka, formerly known as the chief minister of Mysore, is the chief executive officer of the government of the Indian state of Karnataka. As per the Constitution of India, the governor of Karnataka is the state's ''de j ...
,
Basavaraj Bommai
Basavaraj Somappa Bommai (born 28 January 1960) is an Indian politician and engineer who is the current and 23rd Chief Minister of Karnataka. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He is a Member of the Legislative Assembly in the leg ...
and other leaders.
His body was kept for public view at Kanteerava stadium for 2 days, and was reportedly attended by more than 30 lakh people and was the one of
the largest funeral gathering in Indian history of funerals. He was buried alongside his parents at Sree Kanteerava Studios in Bangalore.
Increase in eye donations across Karnataka
After the eye donation initiative of Puneeth Rajkumar, there was a sudde
increase in the eye donationsacross Karnataka that gave a boost and awareness amongst the people of the State. The doctor of Narayana Nethralaya that runs Dr. Rajkumar's eye bank has mentioned that from the eye bank's inaugration, there was 76,000 eye pledges in total for 30 years. After November of 2021, there is a huge number o
one lakh eye donations registered in the last 10 months alone
Awards and honors
* On November 1st, 2022, he was awarded
Karnataka Ratna
The Karnataka Ratna is the highest civilian honour of the State of Karnataka, India. It is awarded in recognition of a person's extraordinary contribution in any field. It was instituted in the year 1992 by Chief Minister S Bangarappa by the Go ...
(The most prestigious award in Karnataka) after his death.
* On 22 March 2022, he was posthumously awarded honorary doctorate from
University of Mysore
The University of Mysore is a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, India. The university was founded during the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, the Maharaja of Mysore. The university is recognised by the University Grants Commission ...
at its 102nd convocation and was received by his wife Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar.
* The State Government announced to mark his birthday as "Inspiration Day.
* The 212th edition of Lalbagh flower show was dedicated as a tribute to him and his father matinee idol
Dr.Rajkumar
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Cinema of ...
.
* His tableau was made on the occasion of 2022 Mysore Dasara Jamboo Savari procession.
* Dolls conceptualized on him were reported to be the highlight of 2022 Dasara doll display.
* An entire day was dedicated to screen his movies at the 2022 Dasara Film Festival.
* He was posthumously conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 67th Filmfare Awards.
* On October 22 & 23, 2022 restaurants of Bengaluru hosted a food festival - ''Flavours of Gandhada Gudi'' on the occasion of his last theatrical release ''
Gandhada Gudi
''Gandhada Gudi'' () is a 1973 Indian Kannada-language action drama film directed by Vijay and produced by M. P. Shankar. Rajkumar in his 150th film portrays an honest forest officer Kumar while Vishnuvardhan plays the antagonist, Anand, t ...
''.
* All the 200 Kannada movies which released within one year of his demise, paid tribute to him in their opening credits.
* 75 cutouts with garlands were erected outside his memorial on his first death anniversary.
* One of the 75 satellites intended to be launched into orbit during November 15 to December 2022 on the occasion of the 75th year of Indian independence was named after him.
[https://m.timesofindia.com/entertainment/kannada/movies/news/puneeth-rajkumar-to-have-a-satellite-named-after-him/amp_articleshow/93801239.cms]
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Puneeth, Rajkumar
1975 births
2021 deaths
20th-century Indian male actors
21st-century Indian male actors
Filmfare Awards South winners
Indian game show hosts
Indian male child actors
Indian television presenters
Kannada people
Kannada male actors
Kannada playback singers
Film producers from Karnataka
Male actors in Kannada television
Male actors from Bangalore
Male actors in Kannada cinema
Indian male film actors
Indian male television actors
Indian male voice actors
Singers from Bangalore
Indian male playback singers
South Indian International Movie Awards winners
Indian film producers
Indian folk-pop singers
Best Child Artist National Film Award winners
20th-century Indian singers
21st-century Indian singers
20th-century Indian male singers
21st-century Indian male singers
Indian child singers
Indian stunt performers
Rajkumar family