Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar passed away on October 29 due to a massive heart attack, with people across Karnataka and celebrities still reeling from the shock of his sudden death. Lovingly called as 'Power Star' and 'Appu' by fans, the actor was laid to rest on Sunday with full state honours in the presence of fans and personalities. Puneeth, who has been a beloved name among the people of Karnataka for more than two decades, climbed the ladder of superstardom in quick time and became one of the top-ranking actors in Kannada film history. The superstar’s funeral was held at the Kanteerava Studio where his parents Dr Rajkumar and Parvathamma were cremated. 

In the meantime, Tamil actor-producer Vishal gave assurances at the promotional event of his film Enemy and promised to take care of the 1,800 students who were getting free education from the late Kannada superstar. Speaking at the Enemy pre-release event, Vishal said, "Puneeth Rajkumar is not just a good actor, but a good friend as well. I haven’t seen such a down to earth superstar like him. He was doing a lot of social activities and I promise to take care of 1800 students who are getting free education from Puneeth Rajkumar from next year." He further added that he and his team were initially apprehensive on whether to organize their film’s promotional event taking into account Puneeth's sudden and unfortunate demise. 

Upon learning the news of Puneeth's death, Vishal expressed his grief on Twitter and wrote, "I just can’t believe that my Good Friend Puneeth Rajkumar has passed away & is no more...May his Soul Rest in Peace, my Deepest Condolences, May his Family stay Strong @ these testing times. It’s a Big Loss for the Karnataka Movie Industry & a Big Loss for me as Dear Friend."