Karnataka Ratna to Puneeth Rajkumar: Bommai to consult actor's family to finalise date

Karnataka Ratna to Puneeth Rajkumar: Bommai to consult actor's family to finalise date

Bengaluru: Karnataka Government is yet to finalise a date on conferring the 'Karnataka Ratna' award on late actor Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar, said CM Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru on Thursday. 

On the occasion of the late actor's birthday, CM Bommai said he would discuss with the actor's family to finalise a date for the event. The government will form a committee to oversee the preparations. Also, the chief minister reminisced the late actor's philanthropic activities in his lifetime.  Bommai said Puneeth Rajkumar's legacy will live on for posterity. 

Bommai spoke to the media while wishing the actor on his 47th birthday.  He wished success to the cast and crew of 'James' movie, the last movie of the actor, that was released today. 

When Puneeth Rajkumar passed away, he had completed his shooting, but the dubbing of the movie had not yet begun. His elder brother, Shivarajkujmar, did the dubbing part of the Appu. It remains to be seen whether his voice would suit Puneeth and how fans and the audience react to the dubbing, said one of the actors.

Puneeth, the youngest of the five children of matinee idol Dr.Rajkumar, starred in over 29 Kannada films. He had appeared as a lead actor in a number of commercially successful films including Appu (2002), Abhi (2003), Veera Kannadiga (2004), Mourya (2004), Aakash (2005), Ajay (2006), Arasu (2007), Milana (2007), Vamshi (2008), Raam (2009), Jackie (2010), Hudugaru (2011), Raajakumara (2017), and Anjani Putra (2017).

'Power star' passed away on October 21, 2021, after a massive heart attack. He was cremated, next to his father's memorial, with full state honours at  Kanteerava Studios premises in Bengaluru.  According to reports, as many as 10 lakh people paid their last homage to young superstar.