Aniruddha Jatkar: Puneeth told us to challenge our age

Puneeth Rajkumar 

On Thursday, we attended a bash to celebrate the birthday of Gurukiran, music director and family friend. We do that every year. Puneeth Rajkumar, Ramesh Aravind and I sat chatting while my wife Keerthi was busy chatting with Ashwini, Puneeth’s wife. We spoke about films, fitness and a bunch of other things.

Puneeth was extremely fond of working out. He told us he had recently completed a 70 km cycle trip, and advised us to keep challenging our age. I suggested he attempt the IronMan World Championship which includes swimming, cycling and running. I was certain he would win it with the right training.

We partied, laughed and ate together. He left around 11.30 pm and we left soon after. I was in for a shock the next day. The superstar, singer, producer and philanthropist, our own Appu, was no more. A man so full of energy and enthusiasm was gone. When I heard he had felt uncomfortable after his workout routine, many questions crowded my mind. How much exercise is good and how much is too much? Actors are under tremendous pressure to look fit. That means six packs for heroes and slim physiques for heroines. And to get there, actors push themselves to extremes. It is time we gave this practice some thought.

My mother-in-law Bharathi has acted with Puneeth in a couple of films and with his father Dr Rajkumar in numerous films. My father-in-law Dr Vishnuvardhan had also acted with Rajkumar and was also one of his biggest admirers. My in-laws considered Rajkumar’s children their own. The two families are close. Every time I met Puneeth, we shared this warmth.

At the last party Puneeth attended, Ashwini told Keerthi how proud she was of her daughters. The elder of her two daughters Drithi is studying in the USA on a scholarship. I can’t imagine how traumatic it was for her as she travelled back to a home without her loving father. The very thought of having to pay a tribute to Puneeth is painful. It is impossible to describe the loss. This is numbness, this is a vacuum.

(The author is an actor, singer, writer and director)