Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar passes away, tight security across Bengaluru and Karnataka

In a tweet, the Chief Minister said, “The death of renowned Kannada film star Shri Puneeth Rajkumar due to a heart attack has caused me deep sadness. The death of Appu, who is much loved by Kannadigas, is a major loss for Kannada and Karnataka. May God rest his soul rest in peace. I pray for strength for his fans to bear this grief.”

His body will be kept at Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru for people to pay homage. The police are making arrangements and a tight security is in place around the stadium. The actor was reportedly working out in the gym when he collapsed suddenly and was rushed to a hospital immediately.

Kannada superstar #PuneethRajkumar passed away on Friday at the Vikram hospital in Bengaluru after suffering a heart attack, confirms Karnataka Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai now. @IndianExpress @ieEntertainment pic.twitter.com/bwo6ybMjcQ

— Darshan Devaiah B P (@DarshanDevaiahB) October 29, 2021

According to the earlier statement by the hospital, Puneeth was brought to the healthcare facility with a history of chest pain at 11:40 am. “Mr Puneet Rajkumar aged 46 years was brought to the emergency department, Vikram Hospital with a history of chest pain at 11:40 am, he was non-responsive and was in Cardiac Asystole and advanced cardiac resuscitation has been initiated,” Vikram Hospital said in a statement.

Meanwhile, former Karnataka Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah, H D Kumaraswamy, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, Karnataka Congress president D K Shivakumar and several others from the Indian Film industry offered their condolences to Rajkumar’s family.

Bommai’s official programmes scheduled for Saturday have been postponed, according to the Chief Minister’s Office.

Speaking to reporters, Bommai said, “Puneeth Rajkumar experienced pain in the chest after going to the gym and visited his family doctor and was advised to get admitted to Vikram Hospital. Doctors tried their best to save him, he was a youth icon in the state. It is unfortunate that he passed away at a young age. I had given an appointment to him yesterday (Thursday) to meet me today (Friday) to invite me to his event on November 1. This has caused me deep sadness.”

The Chief Minister also requested the people of Karnataka to maintain peace. “Government will make all arrangements and the body will be kept at the Kanteerava Stadium in Bengaluru and all people should maintain peace,” he added.

The fans present outside the hospital were seen crying and parts of Bengaluru were shut down after the news of death. Pubs and bars in Bengaluru were shut and shops and business establishments at Gandhinagara area, which is the centre of the Kannada film industry, were closed to pay tributes to the superstar.

Meanwhile, theatre owners have also decided to cancel evening shows Friday. Thomas D’Souza, owner of Robin theatre in Bengaluru and vice-president, South Indian Film Federation, told The Indian Express that the exhibitors have voluntarily cancelled shows after 4 pm and even the state government requested us to do so.

“We have lost one of the greatest actors and finest human beings. He was always there to promote Kannada movies and played a crucial role. This has come as a huge shocker, not only to the industry but to entire Karnataka,” he said.

The Karnataka government has alerted Bengaluru district commissioners, DCPs and SPs to tighten the security in their Jurisdiction and also to the district administration across the state.