Dhyan who played the lead in several Kannada films in the 2010s including Nanna Preethiya Hudugi,Monalisa, Jootata and Amritdhare, cannot believe that Puneeth Rajkumar is actually gone.
“I thought it was a Twitter hoax. How can Puneeth Rajkumar be gone so suddenly? He was just 46. That’s no age to go.And he was so fit, very health conscious. The suddenness of his death shakes you up,” says Dhyan who was active in Kannada cinema from 2001 to 2010.
“When I joined the Kannada film industry, Puneet Rajkumar was already an icon beyond all icons. His popularity and hold over the Kannada audience cannot be compared with anyone. He was God in Karnataka. Movies were sold to distributors within hours once the announcement was made that he was the hero. He was all the guarantee that a Kannada film needed for success,” says Dhyan.
Puneeth Rajkumar, says Dhyan, was venerated for not only who his onscreen persona but also off it. “He was known widely for his charity work. He ran any number of orphanages, schools, old-age homes and goshalas. He was hero-worshipped for not only the roles he played but also the person he was. So many homes of the poor had food on the table because of Mr Puneeth Rajkumar.”
Dhyan says Puneeth Rajkumar was a quiet doer. “He gave without expecting anything in return. His place in the Kannada cinema cannot be taken any other actor.”