Puneeth Rajkumar, affectionately known as Appu, King Appu, and Power Star, was a multi-talented Indian actor, playback singer, television presenter, philanthropist, and producer who made a significant impact in the Kannada film industry.
At just six months old, Rajkumar made his acting debut in the thriller Premada Kanike (1976),directed by V. Somasekhar. His father, Rajkumar, played the male lead, and the young actor's talent was evident from the start.
Rajkumar's early career was marked by a string of successful films, with his father often playing the lead role. He acted in films like Sanadhi Appanna (1977),Bhagyavantha (1981),Chelisuva Modagalu (1982),and Eradu Nakshatragalu (1983),earning him several awards, including two Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Child Actor (Male).
Rajkumar's breakthrough role came with the film Bettada Hoovu (1985),based on the novel "What Then, Raman?" by Shirley L. Arora. He won the award for Best Child Artist at the 33rd National Film Awards for his performance.
As he entered his teenage years, Rajkumar continued to act in films, including Shiva Mecchida Kannappa (1988) alongside his father and sibling Shivarajkumar. His last role as a child actor was in Parashuram (1989).
In 1994, Rajkumar joined his family's production house, Vajreshwari Combines, as a manager.
Rajkumar made his lead acting debut in Appu (2002) opposite Rakshitha, which was a commercial success. He went on to appear in many successful films, including Abhi (2003),Veera Kannadiga (2004),Ajay (2006),Arasu (2007),Vamshi (2008),Jackie (2010),Hudugaru (2011),Rana Vikrama (2015),Raajakumara (2017),Natasaarvabhowma (2019),and James (2022).
Rajkumar's singing career was marked by hits like "Baana Daariyalli Soorya" in Bhagyavantha (1981) and numerous other songs in films like Appu (2002),Lava Kusha (2007),Vamshi (2008),Jackie (2010),Mylari (2010),and Akira (2016).
On television, Rajkumar hosted the game show Kannadada Kotyadhipathi (2012) and the reality show Family Power (2017) on Colors Kannada.
Throughout his career, Rajkumar won numerous awards, including one National Film Award, six Filmfare Awards South, four Karnataka State Film Awards, and five SIIMA Awards.
Rajkumar received an honorary doctorate posthumously from the University of Mysuru (Mysore) (UoM) and was conferred Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award in the state, by the Karnataka Government on November 1, 2022.
Tragically, Rajkumar passed away on October 29, 2021, in Bengaluru, Karnataka, after suffering a heart attack.
