Puneeth Rajkumar: Superstar with a heart of gold

Fans have a hard time accepting the icon Puneeth Rajkumar’s untimely demise and remember him through his social campaigns.

Puneeth Rajkumar, Source : Shutterstock

Fans cannot accept the film icon Puneeth Rajkumar’s untimely demise and flock together to pay their tributes. Puneeth Rajkumar is a superstar of the Southern Indian Film Industry, who rose to fame over a career of two decades as the lead actor in several films. A multi-talented icon, Puneeth also sang songs for his films, including the hit tracks ‘Kaanadante Maayavadanu’ and ‘Jothe Jotheyali’. He won millions of hearts with his name, fame, and socially beneficiary work. Fondly known as Appu by the crowd, Puneeth also was the face of many social campaigns of the state government. The actor made several donations to orphanages, and old age homes. He even opened a trust after his father, called the Dr Rajkumar Trust.

Puneeth was the brand ambassador for the Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) in 2019. He campaigns for public transport and helped to endorse several advertisements for BMTC without making any payments. He ran campaigns against harassment faced by women in public transport as well. He also ran a campaign for the Election Commission in 2014, where he urged the public to vote. He was the face of the BESCOM, (Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company) as well. Whenever he acted as the brand ambassador, he worked free of cost. Puneeth Rajkumar was also a champion of nature conservation and urged the people to save wildlife and forests.

One of the most important areas of social work for Puneeth was Education. He fought for the betterment of the education system of Karnataka for decades. He made sure that students from all economic backgrounds could study, and hence sponsored thousands of students’ education expenses. He was one of the brand ambassadors for the education of the state government. He was the brand ambassador of the Karnataka state government’s educational scheme, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. He went across the state to appeal to parents to send their children to school. He tried his very best to reduce the number of school dropouts. When the government asked him to become the brand ambassador for the Skill Development Board, he also agreed to carry out that role.

A true champion of hearts and a dedicated social worker, Puneeth did not hesitate to offer his hands to those in crisis during the outbreak of COVID-19. As the pandemic struck India, Puneeth actively took part in social awareness. He created videos and urged his followers to ensure safety measures. He contributed to funds to help the ones severely affected. He acted as the brand ambassador of the Karnataka government and urged the public to donate money, maintain awareness and keep on following the safety measures for the virus. Puneeth donated Rs 50 lakh to the Karnataka government’s Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in the year 2020, during the first wave of COVID-19 infections. He did everything he could to help the government fight the deadly virus. Puneeth after his death also has chosen a way to help someone else, he donated his eyes.

Puneeth Rajkumar was not just a superstar or mega icon of films,but also a social champion who continues to rule the hearts of millions owing to his benevolence, and unparalleled social work.