Family members

Short biography

Puneeth Rajkumar was born on 17th March 1975 in Madras (now Chennai) to Kannada cinema legend Dr. Rajkumarand Parvathamma Rajkumar. He had four elder siblings, two brothers and two sisters. His elder brothers Shivrajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar are also very famous actors and producers in Sandalwood. Since his father was an actor, the film business was very familiar to him from the very beginning.

He faced the camera when he was just six months old for his father’s movie Premada Kanike in 1976. His debut as a child artist was with Vasantha Geetha in 1980 alongside his father. He discontinued his formal education at a very early age and studied under a private tutor. He later earned a Diploma in Computer Science.

Before entering films in a lead role, Puneeth was involved in the mining business. He was professionally trained in martial arts and dancing before making his debut as a lead actor with Appu in 2001 alongside Rakshita and Avinash, which turned out to be a huge commercial hit. After this film, he became popularly known as Power Star and Appu in Sandalwood.

Despite his busy film schedule, Puneeth was deeply involved in charity and social service. He was the patron of Shakti Dhama, Mysore, a rehabilitation center for women. Apart from films, he was also involved in television shows and hosted Kannadada Kotyadhipati in 2013, the Kannada version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He was also a talented singer and sang songs for many of his films.

Puneeth endorsed several reputed brands such as 7 Up, Dixcy Scott, Malabar Gold, Manappuram, F Square, and Nandini. He was also the founder and owner of the music label company PRK Audio, which later expanded into PRK Productions, producing several successful Kannada films.

Death and last film

Puneeth Rajkumar passed away on 29 October 2021 after suffering a massive cardiac arrest. He collapsed while working out at a gym in Bengaluru and was rushed to Vikram Hospital, where he was declared dead. His sudden demise at the age of 46 came as a huge shock to fans, the Kannada film industry, and the entire nation.

His death led to an unprecedented outpouring of grief across Karnataka, with millions of fans paying their last respects. The Karnataka government accorded him state honors, recognizing his immense contribution to Kannada cinema and society.

His last film as a leading actor was James, which was released posthumously on 17 March 2022, coinciding with what would have been his 47th birthday. The film received an overwhelming response from fans and became one of the highest-grossing Kannada films of the year.

Puneeth Rajkumar family members, childhood and photos

Parents

His father Dr. Rajkumar was one of the greatest legends of Kannada cinema. He was born on 24th April 1929 in Gajanur, and his birth name was Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju. Rajkumar made his film debut with Bedara Kannappa in 1954 opposite Pandari Bai and Narasimha Raju.

He was married to Parvathamma Rajkumar, a renowned film producer, and the couple had five children. Dr. Rajkumar played a key role in leading the Gokak movement, which helped make Kannada the primary administrative language in Karnataka. He received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song “Naadamaya” in 1992 and was honored with the Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema.

Brothers

Puneeth Rajkumar had two elder brothers, Shivrajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar, both of whom are actors.

Shivrajkumar was born on 12th July 1962 in Gajanur and made his film debut with Anand in 1986 opposite Sudha Rani. He went on to become one of the most successful actors in Kannada cinema.

Raghavendra Rajkumar was born on 15th August 1965 in Chennai and made his acting debut with Chiranjeevi Sudhakara in 1988, which was a failure. His first major blockbuster was Nanjundi Kalyana in 1989 opposite Malashri.

Sister

Puneeth Rajkumar had two elder sisters named Lakshmi and Poornima.

Sisters in law

His brother Shivrajkumar is married to Geetha since 1986, and the couple has two daughters, Niveditha Rajkumar and Nirupama Rajkumar.
Raghavendra Rajkumar is married to Mangala Raghavendra, and the couple has two sons, Vinay Rajkumar and Guru Rajkumar.

Nieces

He had two nieces named Niveditha Rajkumar and Nirupama Rajkumar, daughters of Shivrajkumar.

Nephews

He had two nephews named Vinay Rajkumar and Guru Rajkumar, sons of Raghavendra Rajkumar.

Wife and daughters

Puneeth Rajkumar was married to Ashwini Revanath since 1999, and the couple has two daughters named Drithi and Vanditha. Ashwini Revanath, now known as Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, is a film producer and philanthropist. After Puneeth’s death, she has actively continued his legacy through PRK Productions and charitable initiatives. She has produced popular films such as French Biryani (2020), Law (2020), and several critically acclaimed projects thereafter.

Daughter Drithi and Vanditha

Childhood pictures

Rare family photos

Puneeth Rajkumar best movies