Watch | Puneeth Rajkumar’s fans gather in thousands for last glimpse of star

Puneeth Rajkumar,
the 46-year-old superstar of Kannada cinema whose sudden death sent shockwaves
across the country, was given a grand farewell by fans. A sea of grieving
admirers of the actor poured into Bangalore’s Kanteerava Stadium Friday to pay
their last respects to the beloved actor. The stadium was packed to the hilt
and Rajkumar lay in rest.

Also Read | Actor Puneeth Rajkumar dies aged 46, here’s how the internet reacted

Puneeth Rajkumar’s
final rites will be performed with full state honours and the actor’s family
will decide on when it will happen.

A young fitness
enthusiast, Puneeth Rajkumar was known for films such as “Appu”, “Veera
Kannadiga” and “Maurya”. Also known as the “power star”, Rajkumar suffered a
massive heart attack on Friday which led to his death, according to Vikram Hospital
sources. He is survived by his wife Ashwini Revanth and daughters Dhriti and
Vanditha.  

As news of his death
broke, fans in the hundreds started milling around the hospital complex.
Puneeth Rajkumar was the son of much-beloved matinee actor Rajkumar, a shadow
the 46-year-old actor quickly outgrew. Besides being a successful actor,
Puneeth was also associated with several social initiatives.

Upon his death,
old videos of the actor flooded the internet with people from all walks of life
paying tribute to Rajkumar.

Mourning the death of the
young actor, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “I had a word with Puneeth yesterday. I was
supposed to meet him today. In fact, I was supposed to inaugurate his website
on November 1, but fate had something else in store.”

The chief minister
wrote on Twitter that Rajkumar’s death was a personal loss to him. “A huge
personal loss and one that’s difficult to come to terms with. Praying the Almighty
gives the Rajkumar family and fans the strength to bear this loss,” he wrote.

Kannada actor
Puneeth Rajkumar complained of chest pain while working out at a gym at around
11:40 am on Friday and was immediately rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of
Vikram Hospital. He was declared dead at around 2:30 pm.