Actor Chiranjeevi on Saturday mourned the demise of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar and said it is a great loss for the Kannada film industry.
Briefly speaking to the reporters on Saturday, Chiranjeevi said, "It is a great loss to Kannada film industry...losing our Appu, the Power Star of Karnataka. He was very close to our family... Many memories with him, right from his father Rajkumar's times."
Social media is flooded with condolence messages since the news of the untimely demise of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar broke. Bollywood celebrities also expressed grief on the passing away of the 'power star'.
Actor Sanjay Dutt tweeted, "You were the kindest and the simplest person I've met. The world has lost another gem. My heartfelt condolences to your family and friends. Om Shanti #PuneethRajkumar."
Veteran actor Anil Kapoor also extended condolences to the late star and wrote, "Shocking & extremely sad... #PuneethRajkumar. Sending my heartfelt condolences & prayers to the family..."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other noted politicians including Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Rahul Gandhi, Prakash Javdekar and Nirmala Sitharaman also mourned his demise.
Son of legendary Rajkumar, Puneeth is one of the most loved actors in the South film industry. The 46-year-old star passed away following a cardiac arrest on Friday. He was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru after experiencing chest pain.
Fondly called 'Appu' by his fans, the actor entered the industry as a child artist. He was also awarded the National Film Award for Best Child Artist, for the movie 'Bettada Hoovu'. Later, he debuted with 'Appu' in 2002 which instantly became a blockbuster hit. 'Raam', 'Hudugaru', and 'Anjani Putra' are some of his memorable movies.
( With inputs from ANI )
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