One such member of the fraternity is actor Sharan whose friendship with Puneeth Rajkumar dates all the way back to 1991. The two were still fairly young when the bond was forged and it only got strengthened with time, thanks to Puneeth’s down-to-earth nature.
“He was virtually part of my family and since our families go back a long time, I would visit him at his house quite often. But this incident feels like something grave has occurred within my family and I can’t let go of it at all. What’s really shocking is that he was a thorough fitness enthusiast and a very healthy individual with a very disciplined lifestyle. So for someone like him to succumb to a cardiac arrest is genuinely shocking – I still can’t digest the fact that he is no more and I feel there’s a miracle waiting to happen, to bring him back,” shares Sharan.
The pain is apparent in Sharan’s voice as he recounts the days spent with him – in every regard, one aspect about Puneeth Rajkumar’s personality that pops up repeatedly is his genuine affable nature. Sharan suggests that one of the main reasons for their long-withstanding friendship has been Puneeth’s care and affection towards this, which was never ever contrived.
“It’s impossible for any individual to remain that humble throughout. I have known him for 30 years and he hasn’t changed one bit during the time – I feel it’s tough to even try and develop a personality like his because his is so genuine. And that’s how I will remember him – as someone who would pull me for a warm hug every time you saw him, someone who remembered every encounter you have had with him, and someone with the most innocent smile that can just melt your heart. He was like my closest family member,” adds a very emotional Sharan.
