Sehwag, Raina, Uthappa mourn demise of Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar

NEW DELHI: Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur and former Indian batter Virender Sehwag on Friday condoled the untimely demise of Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar.

"I express my condolences on the passing away of Sh Puneeth Rajkumar. He was much loved by his fans and followers, a talented young star, gone too soon," tweeted Anurag Thakur.

Taking to Twitter, Sehwag wrote, "Saddened to hear about the passing away of #PuneethRajkumar. Warm, and humble, his passing away is a great blow to Indian cinema. May his soul attain sadgati. Om Shanti."

Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina also mourned the death of the Kannada superstar and tweeted, "Deeply saddened to hear about #PuneethRajkumar Ji's demise. My heartfelt condolences to his family, may his soul rest in peace. Om Shanti."

Indian batter Robin Uthappa also expressed his grief and called the actor's demise a 'shock'.

"Deeply saddened to hear about the passing of #PuneethRajkumar. It comes as such a shock. My deepest condolences to his family and all his fans. May his soul rest in peace," tweeted Uthappa.

Indian batter Manish Pandey called the late actor an 'eternal icon' and said that his 'legacy' will live on for generations.

"A tragic day for Kannada Cinema, Karnataka and India. #PuneethRajkumar sir will always remain an inspiration, our #powerstar and an eternal icon for us all. Taken away from us far too soon, his legacy will live on in our hearts and minds for generations. Om Shanti" tweeted Manish Pandey.

Son of matinee idol Rajkumar, Puneeth is fondly called 'Appu' by his fans. The 46-year-old star passed away following a cardiac arrest on Friday. He was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru after experiencing chest pain.

'Raam', 'Hudugaru', and 'Anjani Putra' are some of his memorable movies.