Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar’s untimely demise has left the film fraternity in India in deep grief. The 46-year-old actor passing away sent shockwaves in the entertainment industry and they are yet to recover from his unmatchable void.
Ace cinematographer Ravi Varman has penned an emotional note recalling the fond memories with the late actor.“In 1986, when I was working in Bangalore, I saw two movies. One was Sivarajkumar’s “ Anand” and the other was Rajkumar’s “ Anuraga aralithu “. When the movie was was over the sheer volume of crowds stepping out of the theater amazed me! I realized then, how people loved the Rajkumar family! After becoming a cinematographer, I worked with Puneeth Rajkumar and Sivaraj Kumar on a commercial. On the set, I saw how they treated people around them with respect and humility. My personal relationship with them was such that even if I just sent a message they would immediately call me,” Ravi Varman recalled.The cinematographer couldn’t stop gushing while reminiscing about the towering personality that Puneeth Rajkumar owned. “Puneeth Rajkumar was a man full of grace and always spoke with a smile on his face. He was a connoisseur of world cinema. He would pleasantly surprise me with his knowledge about the technical aspects of cinematography. His sudden demise breaks my heart but his smile remains omnipresent through his movies and photographs. He was discreetly charitable which didn’t go unnoticed by his people. On his last journey, he was surrounded by a sea of people that loved him as their own. A beautiful human lost,” he added.
“When I met Sivarajkumar, Sivanna cried like a parent who has lost his son. He talked with such sadness about the sweet memories of his brother for a while. It made me love Puneeth even more. Sivanna, I want to say to you, Puneeth will always live in you through the wonderful memories you created together. Puneeth Rajkumar was not only an actor but a gracious human that so endeared him to his legion of fans. Such a man will remain immortal in the hearts of the people. His sweet smile shining through always. ????????????” Ravi Varman concluded.
An award-winning cinematographer, Ravi Varman began his journey in cinema through Malayalam movies. His debut film as a cinematographer was the 1999 release Malayalam film ‘Jalamarmaram’. He later went on to work in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Hindi, and English films.
