Puneeth Rajkumar posthumously conferred ‘Karnataka Ratna’ award at rain-hit event

Till now, Rajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar are the only father-son duo to have won the prize. (Express photo by Jithendra M)

The award was distributed in the presence of renowned actors Rajnikanth and Junior NTR, and Infosys Foundation chairperson Sudha Murthy. Puneeth Rajkumar’s elder brother Shiva Rajkumar also attended the event.

Owing to the presence of a large crowd for the event, Ambedkar Road was closed to traffic for the duration of the event. The traffic police had issued advisories requesting commuters to use alternate routes during the course of the programme.

Puneeth Rajkumar died at the age of 46 following a cardiac arrest on October 29, 2021. He was the youngest child of Dada Saheb Phalke award winner Rajkumar and had made his name as a child actor. He won a national award as a child artist for the film, Bettada Hoovu.

CM Bommai said Puneeth Rajkumar was an inspiration as many have donated their organs following the example set by the actor. (Express photo by Jithendra M)

Notably, Rajkumar was the first recipient of the ‘Karnataka Ratna’ award along with author Kuvempu in 1992. Till now, Rajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar are the only father-son duo to have won the prize.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said that the state government would consider including a lesson on the life of Puneeth Rajkumar in textbooks. He was responding to media queries on the demand by a section of the actor’s fans to include a chapter on him in the syllabus.

Bommai said Puneeth Rajkumar was an inspiration as many have donated their organs following the example set by the actor. “This speaks volumes about his service to society,” the chief minister said, adding that the late actor’s humanitarian works, too, were commendable.

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