Puneeth reunited with parents: The link between Rajkumar family and Kanteerava Studios

Kannada and Sandalwood 'Power Star' Puneeth Rajkumar was laid to rest earlier on Sunday with full state honours. The actor of Milana and Appu fame was buried at a site that holds utmost significance among the Kannada film fraternity and its fans alike.

Sree Kanteerava Studios, located in northwest Bengaluru, is where 'Appu' has been laid to rest alongside his parents and 'Rebel Star' Ambareesh.

Set up in 1966, the then-publicly owned facility had witnessed the making of some of the most iconic Kannada films and remains an important location to this day.

It is here that the Government of Karnataka set up a memorial where Puneeth's father, thespian Dr Rajkumar, was given his funeral back in 2006, followed by his mother Parvathamma in 2017 and Ambareesh in 2018.

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The Dr Rajkumar Samadhi, as the memorial is known, though generally open to the public, might be closed for the next few days.

Puneeth, like his father, died of a heart condition. 'Appu', just as his parents did, donated his eyes. Both their mortal remains were taken to the Kanteerava Stadium for the public to pay their final respects. Both their mortal remains were taken to the Kanteerava Stadium for the public to pay their final respects, following which they were taken to the Kanteerava Studios for their funeral.

The 46-year-old's funeral on Sunday was attended by members of the film fraternity and political leaders, including Karnataka CM Basavaraj Bommai, Siddaramaiah, B S Yediyurappa and D K Shivakumar. The procession to the memorial site had begun at around 5 am.

Puneeth Rajkumar died on Friday afternoon due to a heart attack hours after he was admitted to Vikram Hospital after complaints of chest pain while exercising earlier that morning. His sudden death left thousands in Karnataka and elsewhere in a state of extreme grief.

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According to the hospital, the actor was brought to the hospital with a family doctor diagnosing that he had had a heart attack. "At the time of arrival to the emergency, the patient was non-responsive and was in cardiac asystole. Hence, immediate advanced cardiac life support measures were initiated for resuscitation..."

Some experts believe that he may have died from genetic factors, given his father also died of a heart attack.

His last film, 'Yuvarathnaa' was released earlier this year.

The Bengaluru Police had on Friday ordered all establishments serving or selling alcohol to remain closed till Sunday midnight. In a revised order published on Saturday, such establishments have been allowed to reopen in certain parts of the city. The order was passed to prevent a repeat of the violence that shook the city when Dr Rajkumar died 15 years ago.

While there have so far been no instances of violence, cops were seen lathi-charging fans standing outside the Kanteerava Studios to disperse the crowd. On Friday night, a fan of the actor from a village in Belagavi district died from the shock of Puneeth's sudden demise and another died of cardiac arrest in Mysuru.

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