Puneeth’s doctor recalls actor's final hours after five years

Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar’s physician has recalled the actor’s final hours, revealing that an ECG showed signs of strain after he completed a 90-minute kickboxing session on the day of his death in October 2021.

Dr Ramana Rao shared the details in a recent interview, recalling that Puneeth arrived at his clinic sweating heavily and complaining of tiredness after exercising at the gym.

Concerned by the actor’s condition, Rao immediately conducted an electrocardiogram (ECG), which he said showed signs of strain. He administered medication and arranged for Puneeth to be taken to hospital without delay.

According to the doctor, Puneeth travelled in his own car and remained conscious and able to communicate during the journey. Rao asked him to rest his head on his wife Ashwini’s lap while the driver rushed to the hospital.

However, the actor’s condition deteriorated just before he reached the medical facility.

“Just a minute before he could reach the hospital, his heart stopped beating,” Rao recalled, according to NDTV. Doctors at Vikram Hospital attempted to revive him, but their efforts were unsuccessful. 

Puneeth, popularly known as Appu, died on October 29, 2021, at the age of 46. His death shocked the Kannada film industry and his millions of fans.