Film fraternity, State Govt. mark 'Puneeth Namana' in honor of the late actor

Many prominent members of the Kannada Film Industry and top leaders of the Karnataka government convened early today for a special event in honor of the late Puneeth Rajkumar. The exclusive gathering, called Puneeth Namana was organized at the Palace Grounds in Bengaluru to pay tributes to Puneeth Rajkumar and also celebrate his life as a grand retrospect with both of Puneeth's daughters - Dhrithi and Vanditha, along with wife Ashwini - too in attendance.
Puneeth Namana was organized by the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC) in association with the Sandalwood Film Actors' and Technicians' Association. Previously, KFCC president Sa Ra Govindu urged all fans to cooperate with the organizers as the event was planned to an exclusive one, mainly comprising Puneeth's colleagues (including those from Tamil and Telugu industries). The entire event of Puneeth Namana was telecast live on all prominent news channels.

Among the many dignitaries present was Karnataka C.M. Basavaraj Bommai who spoke dearly about the late actor and also announced a posthumous Karnataka Ratna award owing to Puneeth's cultural prominence in the state and also his many noble philanthropic endeavors. Karnataka Ratna is the state's highest civilian honor and Puneeth Rajkumar becomes the second actor to feature in the elite list, along with his father Dr. Rajkumar who was awarded in 1992.
Popularly known as Appu or the Powerstar, Puneeth Rajkumar had been one of the foremost actors in Kannada Cinema for close to 20 years. The actor would, unfortunately, succumb to a cardiac arrest on the 29th of October to leave an entire nation shocked and devastated. The following two days after his passing saw a stunning display of fandom as many of his ardent swamped the streets of Bengaluru to pay their respects to his mortal remains. Many of Puneeth's peers and friends from other film industries too came down to the city to offer their respects.