South Indian superstar Puneeth Rajkumar, who passed away on October 29, 2021, continues to live on in the hearts of millions of fans. His sudden demise left the entire nation shocked, but his legacy as an actor and humanitarian remains unmatched. Puneeth was the son of legendary Kannada actor Dr. Rajkumar, and from a young age, he followed in his father’s footsteps.
Puneeth’s passion for acting began in childhood. He started his film career as a child artist and achieved remarkable success early on. At just 10 years old, he won the National Film Award for Best Child Artist in 1985, marking the beginning of an extraordinary journey. Fans lovingly called him ‘Appu’.
Over the years, Puneeth acted in more than 30 Kannada films, many of which were massive box-office hits. Remarkably, 14 of his films ran in theatres for over 100 days, a testament to his immense popularity. He was also among the highest-paid actors in the Kannada film industry.
But beyond the silver screen, Puneeth Rajkumar was equally admired for his philanthropy. He managed 46 free schools, 26 orphanages, 16 old-age homes, and 19 cow shelters across Karnataka. He also extended financial support to several Kannada-medium schools. In a noble gesture, Puneeth donated his eyes after death, inspiring nearly one lakh people across Karnataka to pledge their own eye donations.
Puneeth passed away at the age of 46 after suffering a heart attack. His death caused a wave of grief across Karnataka. In Bengaluru, Section 144 was imposed, and liquor sales were banned for two days. Over three million people reportedly gathered to pay their final respects to the beloved actor.
Even after his passing, Puneeth Rajkumar remains an icon of talent, humility, and kindness, inspiring generations of fans through his films and his humanitarian legacy.
