| Puneeth Rajkumar Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 9 in |
| Weight | 75 kg |
| Date of Birth | March 17, 1975 |
| Date of Death |
October 29, 2021 |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Puneeth Rajkumar was an Indian actor, playback singer, TV presenter, and film producer who had predominantly worked in films made in the Kannada language. One of the most popular actors in Kannada cinema, he is remembered for his work in films such as Vasantha Geetha (1980), Chalisuva Modagalu (1982), Eradu Nakshatragalu (1983), Appu (2002), Veera Kannadiga (2004), Aakash (2005), Arasu (2007), Vamshi (2008), Jackie (2010), Hudugaru (2011), Raajakumara (2017), Anjani Putra (2017), and James (2022). In 2012, he made his debut as a TV presenter on the game show Kannadada Kotyadhipati, the Kannada version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, a popular international TV game show franchise of British origin. In November 2021, the government of Karnataka conferred upon him, posthumously, the Karnataka Ratna, the state’s highest civilian award.
Born Name
Lohith Rajkumar
Nick Name
Puneeth, Appu, Powerstar
Age
Puneeth was born on March 17, 1975.
Died
He died on October 29, 2021, after a sudden cardiac arrest in Bengaluru, Bayaluseemé, Karnataka, India. He was just 46 years old at the time of his death.
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Nationality
Occupation
Actor, Playback Singer, TV Presenter, Film Producer
Family
- Father – Dr. Rajkumar (b. Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj) (Actor, Singer, Padma Bhushan Awardee, Dadasaheb Phalke Awardee) (d. April 2006)
- Mother – Parvathamma Rajkumar (Film Producer, Distributor) (d. May 2017)
- Siblings – Shiva Rajkumar (Older Brother) (Actor, Film Producer, TV Presenter), Raghavendra Rajkumar (Older Brother) (Actor, Singer, Producer), Poornima Puttaswamayya (Older Sister), Lakshmi Govindaraj (Older Sister)
- Others – Singanalluru Puttaswamayya (Paternal Grandfather) (Theatre Artist), Lakshmamma (Paternal Grandmother) (Theatre Artist), S. P. Varadaraj (Paternal Uncle) (Actor, Producer) (d. February 2006), Sharadamma (Paternal Aunt), Nagamma (Paternal Aunt), Appaji Gowda (Maternal Grandfather), S. A. Chinne Gowda (Maternal Uncle) (Film Producer, Distributor), Jayamma (Aunt), S.A. Govindaraj (Maternal Uncle) (Film Producer), S.A. Srinivas (Maternal Uncle) (Film Producer), Mangala Raghavendra (Aunt), Vinay Rajkumar (Nephew) (Actor), Yuva Rajkumar (Nephew), Geetha Shivarajkumar (Sister-in-Law) (Film Producer), Nirupama Rajkumar (Niece), Niveditha Rajkumar (Niece), Sri Murali (Cousin) (Actor), Vijay Raghavendra (Cousin) (Actor), Ramkumar (Brother-in-Law) (Actor, Film Producer), Dheeren Ramkumar (Nephew) (Actor), Dhanya Ramkumar (Niece) (Actress)
Build
Athletic
Height
5 ft 9 in or 175 cm
Weight
75 kg or 165.5 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
Puneeth had dated –
- Ashwini Revanth (1999–2021) – Puneeth got married to Ashwini Revanth on December 1, 1999, some months after they were introduced to each other by a common friend. The couple was together until Puneeth’s untimely demise in October 2021. They had 2 daughters together named Drithi Rajkumar and Vanditha Rajkumar.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Toned physique
- Short-cropped, side-parted hair
- Cheerful smile
- Clean-shaven look
Religion
Hinduism
Brand Endorsements
He had served as the brand ambassador for –
- Nandini (a brand of milk products under the Karnataka Milk Federation, a dairy cooperative in the state of Karnataka)
- 7 Up (non-caffeinated soft drink brand)
- Dixcy Scott (Indian innerwear brand)
- Malabar Gold & Diamonds (Indian jewelry group)
- Gold Winner (Indian edible oil brand)
- Pothys (Indian silk saree brand)
- Flipkart (Indian e-commerce company)
- Manappuram Finance Limited (Indian non-banking financial company)
- Royal Challengers Bangalore (franchise cricket team in the IPL (Indian Premier League))
Puneeth Rajkumar Facts
- The 2017 Kannada language action drama film Raajakumara, wherein Puneeth played a starring role, had become the highest-grossing Kannada-language film of all time.
- He had written a biography of his father titled The Person Behind the Personality.
- His last film in a leading role, titled James, was posthumously released on March 17, 2022, on what would have been his 47th birthday. It became the fastest Kannada film to gross INR 100 crores.
- He was the owner of Bengaluru Royals, a franchise team in the Asian Premier Futsal Championship, a multinational franchise-based futsal league conceptualized by Indian entrepreneurs.
- He was the founder and owner of the record label PRK Audio whose YouTube channel had amassed 1.31 million subscribers by February 2022.
- Upon his death, Puneeth’s eyes were donated in accordance with a pledge made by his father. His body was kept at the Sree Kanteerava Outdoor Stadium, a multi-purpose stadium in Bengaluru, for 3 days so that his fans could pay their final respects to him. Reportedly, more than 2 million people visited the stadium in those 3 days.
- In March 2022, he was posthumously awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Mysore, a public state university in Mysore, Karnataka, at its 102nd convocation.
Featured Image by Puneeth Rajkumar / Instagram
