On my pinboard - Puneeth Rajkumar

Puneeth Rajkumar has come a long way since his first film ‘Appu’ which, he concedes, remains special for him. As a child artiste, he had appeared in numerous films but ‘Chalisuva Modagalu’ with his thespian father was a blockbuster.

He later won the National Award for ‘Bettada Hoovu’ where he played a child who aspires to study but instead focusses on alleviating his family’s misery. In 1983, he appeared in a mythological film ‘Bhakta Prahlada’ as the protagonist Prahlada.

He won the Karnataka State Film Award for ‘Best Actor’ for his roles in ‘Jackie’ and ‘Milana’.  Puneeth’s other popular films include ‘Arasu’, ‘Hudugaru’ and ‘Rana Vikrama’. He is now awaiting the release of ‘Doddmane Hudga’ and is working on completing his much-awaited project ‘Rajakumara’.

Cinema - Dr Rajkumar

“My first exposure to the world of cinema was through my father Dr Rajkumar. I am what I am because of him. I have a lot of regard and respect for theatre and cinema. As a theatre artiste, my father began his career in Gubbi Company. I’ve never been a part of theatre myself. You need a very different kind of dedication to work in that field and hats off to all those people who have stood their ground in the world of theatre. Later, growing up, I watched all genres of cinema including films of Bruce Lee, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mel Gibson. But my hero remains my father.”

Inspiration - Parvathamma Rajkumar

“My mother Parvathamma Rajkumar has been my inspiration and strength. She taught me that nothing is impossible and that there is a solution for every problem. My mother worked really hard to take forward her career and bring the family to where it is today.”

Cuisine - Chicken biryani

“I love Indian food and look out for authentic Indian restaurants even when I am travelling. I love ‘anna' with ‘Koli saaru’, ‘Chicken biryani’ and ‘Akki rotti’.  There was a time when I explored all kinds of cuisines and dishes like sushi, salmon-based preparations and oyster. I used to eat a lot of meat because it’s high on protein and keeps one in good shape. But now I would rather settle down to eating simpler dishes. A ‘dal’ and ‘roti’ or any South Indian dish suits me perfectly.”

Book - Archie Comics

“I never really got down to reading too many books but I’ve always loved Archie Comics, with Jughead being my favourite character. I found him to be very cool. Growing up, I would also grab some time to read Tinkle. Actually, I was more into sports and found little time to read books.”

Travel - Singapore

“I take a vacation with my family at least thrice a year. Singapore is our favourite destination. We never get bored of revisiting the place. I don’t take a vacation to go sightseeing; instead, I relax in the hotel, hit the spa, workout or go on long jogs. There are also many beautiful places in our country like Sikkim, Assam, Darjeeling and Shimla that are on my ‘must visit’ list. For a short vacation, we usually go to Coorg and Chikkamagaluru.”

Music - Michael Jackson

“I’ve loved listening to Michael Jackson and now, I find that my daughters Drithi, 13, and Vanditha, 10, too have a list of Michael Jackson songs in their jukebox. Such is the impact that this artiste has had on people. I also like listening to my father’s songs. Apart from this, I enjoy a few select numbers by Richard Marx, Phil Collins, Scorpion, Eagles and others. I can go on for the list is endless.”

(As told to Nina C George)