Vijay Raghavendra to Yamuna Srinidhi: Kannada celebs share their fond memories with late Dr. Puneeth Rajkumar on his first death anniversary

It's been a year ever since everyone's beloved 'Powerstar' Puneeth Rajkumar passed away. Last year, on this day, Puneeth Rajkumar breathed his last after suffering a massive heart attack. Ever since then, the late actor has left a void in the hearts of every Kannadiga and is much remembered for his work and simplicity every day. There is not a day that goes by without remembering beloved 'Appu' as Puneeth Rajkumar is fondly known. On this note, here are the special moments that a few Kannada celebs exclusively shared with ETimes TV.

A die-hard fan of Puneeth Rajkumar, Ashvithi Shetty remembered the first time she met her beloved star. She said, "I met Appu sir for the first time at Radhika Pandit and Yash's engagement. I reached out to him and said that I am a huge fan of his. But, how Appu sir responded to me was a complete surprise package to me. He recognised mine and my twin sister's work in the movie Ramachaari and said he was a fan of ours. That statement meant the world to me. I was astonished how a big star could even be this down to earth. After this, I had the privilege to meet him again after four years on the reality show 'Dance Dance'. Even there, when they were introducing the celebrity dancers, Appu sir recognised me and mentioned that he knew me before. These incidents are etched in my heart forever. Appu sir is indeed a man with a golden heart. No one can ever be like him or replace him. He is a synonym of god."

Dancing Champion judge Vijay Raghavendra remembered his bond with his most adored cousin brother and said, "From a very early age, I have been associated with film, music, and dance. And of course, I would want to remember our late actor Puneeth Rajkumar, who is also my elder cousin's brother. Appu maama was the one who introduced me to western music and break dance. Ever since then, I have been exposed to the art form and my body just swings to any music being played. So yes, dance has been a part of my life for a long time now and the credit goes to my dancing idol Appu maama."

Following the footsteps of the late actor, Yamuna has pledged to donate her eyes. Speaking about it she says, "It is bliss that another human being will be able to get their eyesight in the future with this one decision to pledge eyes. It was our beloved Puneeth Rajkumar who inspired me to take this step. Having worked with him in the Yuvarathna, I have seen how humble a person he is. He appreciated my association with the NCC for cadet training. He was very keen on knowing about the physical training we give to the cadets."

The ace actress also shared an incident by narrating, "I remember Appu saying that he watched my movie 'Tarle nan Maga' twelve times. All these conversations are now only a memory. Appu was very down to earth. He was a true 'Devata Manushya' (God's man) in real life. I used to never feel he was an artist. That's the warmth we shared. "

Speaking about his beloved actor, Jagan said in an interview with ETimes TV, "It is heart-wrenching to remember our beloved Appu in this manner. Appu sir might not be physically with us, but he lives in the hearts of every Kannadiga. His smile, his simplicity, his humanity, and whatnot? Everything will be cherished every single day. Appu sir himself is a celebration. He will continue to live in our hearts forever."

In an interview with ETimes TV, Danish said, "It was an incredible experience to work under the banner of the Power Star of the Kannada film industry. To talk about Puneeth anna, I can just go on talking about him on and on again. He was an incredible human being and a man with a vision. I am not just a fan of Puneeth Rajkumar as an actor but also of his vision. His vision is incredibly commendable. I think that's also because he consumed knowledge from various parts of the world at many levels. He also knew that a certain kind of content belongs to a particular platform."