What were Puneeth Rajkumar's final moments before cardiac arrest?

Bengaluru: Five years have passed since the death of Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar. His doctor, Dr Raman Rao, has now recalled the actor’s final moments and the events that unfolded on that day.

Speaking in a recent interview with Rapid Rashmi on her YouTube channel, Just Curious Kannada, Dr Raman Rao opened up about his close relationship with Puneeth Rajkumar and the shocking incident that claimed the actor’s life.

“Appu was like a son to me. On that day, he had gone to the gym and practised kickboxing for an hour and a half. He came to my clinic sweating profusely. Seeing him sweat so heavily, I felt that something was wrong. I immediately conducted an ECG. The ECG clearly showed that his heart was under strain,” Dr Raman Rao said.

Cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital:

Recognising the seriousness of the situation, the doctor immediately provided first aid and arranged for Puneeth to be taken to the hospital without delay.

Recalling the incident, Dr Raman Rao said, “He went to the hospital in his own car. He was talking to us on the way and wanted to sit upright. However, I told him to rest with his head on his wife Ashwini’s lap. But when we were just a minute away from reaching the hospital, his heartbeat stopped.”

The doctor became emotional while recalling the incident, saying that he would never be able to forget that day. He described it as a moment when he felt as though he had lost his own son.

After they reached the hospital, a team of doctors made every possible effort to save the actor, but their attempts were unsuccessful.

Puneeth Rajkumar died of a heart attack on October 29, 2021. His untimely demise was an irreparable loss to Karnataka and the Kannada film industry.