In a concerning development, Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar’s fans died of suicide & heart attack after the actor passed away at 46 on October 29. The untimely demise of the most popular Kannada actor in the last decade was a massive shock to his peers in the Indian film industry and to political leaders across the country. Such was the influence of the late actor that on the news of his demise, a 30-year-old person from Karnataka’s Chamrajnagar district died due to cardiac arrest. Further, another fan in Belagavi’s village died in similar circumstances. Another fan in Belagavi district committed suicide after he paid his respects to the late actor.
Meanwhile, the actor’s last rites, which were schedule to take place on Saturday, has been postponed till Sunday. The postponement came due to the fact that a lot of celebrities and fans are yet to pay their respects to the late actor.
Background
People committing suicide after their favourite actor passes away is something which sounds straight from a 90s Bollywood film. One would think that in a slowly disconnected world, people would be less connected with a celebrity living millions of miles away from them. But the power of cinema is such that the distance melts away when the actor smiles, dances right on the screen, a few feet away from a fan.
In 2020, the untimely demise of Sushant Singh Rajput had led to several implications and consequences. While, a sharp gaze was made towards Bollywood celebrities and their usage of drugs, fans of Rajput were distraught and shattered. A 13-year-old young girl committed suicide after Rajput’s passing, and another 21-year-old fan from Visakhapatnam killed herself.
The untimely demise of Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar has also sent a wave of sadness and shock across fans.
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The Facts of the Matter
While the death of Puneeth Rajkumar has been a shock to deal with itself, new reports of his fans committing suicide and dying due to heart attack are equally concerning. On October 29, Puneeth died in Bengaluru after he was admitted to a hospital due to chest pain complaints.
The death has been the cause of doom and gloom amid his fans in the entire South Indian film industry. The shock is severe to an extent that there are reports where people are reported to not being able to accept the news of their favourite actor dying.
Husband and Father of 2 Dies Due to Heart Attack
Reportedly, a Chamrajnagar based farmer named Muniyappa was reported to have died due to cardiac arrest. Reportedly, Muniyappa was a huge fan of Puneeth and was severely shocked to know that his favourite actor died due to heart-attack. A News18 report also claimed that Muniyappa had cried profusely in front of a television, seeing the news of Puneeth’s death. The 30-year-old fan is survived by his wife and 2 children.
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Another Fan from Belgavi Dies of Shock
Similarly, another fan of Puneeth from Belgavi district died due to cardiac arrest. The fan was identified as Parashuram and like Muniyappa, he too was a huge fan of ‘Appu’. On Friday night, the fan died as he had a massive heart attack.
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Karnataka Fan Commits Suicide, Paid Puneeth ‘Respects’ Before Killing Self
Further concerning reports came when a fan from Karnataka committed suicide on the evening of his favourite actor’s demise. Reportedly, before he committed suicide, he paid respects to Puneeth by decorating the late actor’s photo with flowers.
A 35-year-old auto-rickshaw driver from Udupi was also rushed to a local health center after he crushed his palm. Reportedly, after learning about Puneeth’s demise, the fan crushed his palm as a way to “pay respect” to the late actor.
