Siddaramaiah and fans demand Padma award for Puneeth

Former chief minister Siddaramaiah and fans of Puneeth Rajkumar have demanded a Padma award for late actor Puneeth Rajkumar for his services to Kannada through his acting and singing.
Siddaramaiah tweeted, “The love & affection Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar has gained is bigger than any title or award. I urge @PMOIndia to award the Padma Shri posthumously to Puneeth Rajkumar. His acting & contribution to society deserves even more accolades (sic).”
Meanwhile today, Puneeth’s family will perform rituals at his samadhi, where he was laid to rest with full State honours beside his mother, Parvathamma, on Sunday morning.
As fans were barred from entering the samadhi until the rituals were complete, they are likely to be allowed to visit the Samadhi from tomorrow.
Speculations are rife that Puneeth’s film, James, which he had completed shooting for, will be released on his birthday on 17 March 2022. Meanwhile, Shivarajkumar has expressed his desire to do the voice-over for Puneeth’s character in James.