The sudden demise of the Sandalwood heartthrob on Friday has left the film fraternity in a state of shock. Popular south Indian artists share their memories of Appu as he was fondly known as.
Gurukiran, music composer
Puneeth was at my birthday party on Thursday night. He and I had a great time at my place together. His presence always lit up any occasion. We were chatting about films, songs and other technical subjects at length. He did not show any signs of ill health at that time. Puneeth always stood by me during happy and sad times. I can’t digest what has happened.
Parvathy Thiruvothu, actor
It is unbearable pain. We have lost an incredible and kind human being. I have the fondest memories of working with him in two films - Milana and Pruthvi. I admired Puneeth for so many things. Onsets, he was genuinely invested in checking in on others. He always made sure everyone was comfortable. His demise is beyond comprehension.
Divya Spandana, actor
My entry into films happened with Puneeth Rajkumar and under his home banner. He was not just a co-star but a close friend to me. He was in touch with me when I was not doing any films. We share a great rapport on and offsets. He used to pull my leg quite often and at the same time console me when needed. I was scared to dance with him because he was such a good dancer.
Danish Sait, actor
I’m devastated and heartbroken. We danced at my wedding together, we spoke about black coffee, relationships, nature, travel, adventure sports, life, old Bangalore, content from around the world, his vision for Indian films. He genuinely wanted to produce films and set up a whole new generation of talent. Puneeth anna was a massive star, he will continue to shine.
Suraj Gowda, actor
It’s very unfortunate to hear of Puneeth Rajkumar’s passing. I met him a few weeks ago for my film’s premiere and we had a good chat. He even asked me to send the film so he could watch it at his place. It’s a big loss to our film industry.