Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar’s sudden demise on Friday has shaken up the world of showbiz. For Resul Pookutty, the Oscar-winning sound designer and editor, this unfortunate incident is no less than a nightmare. He rues, “For somebody who was so fit and young and productive in his creative life just to be gone one morning is like a bad dream. I knew his father (legendary south actor Rajkumar) well.”

Pookutty hadn’t worked with Puneeth but knew him personally. He shares, “l have met him (Puneeth) a couple of times at several award functions. There was no one like him. I can’t forget the smile on his face. It was so humble and heartwarming. He was someone who one would instantly like. His smile will stay with me forever.”

The sound designer further notes, “People down South look at stars as demigods. Puneeth had that kind of stature… But he didn’t have any airs about who his father was or what a great legacy he was carrying forward. He was such a nice guy; so honest.”

He adds, “His passing away is unfathomable. This also reminds you that life is short, and nothing is in your hands. Puneeth survived the pandemic but couldn’t survive a heart attack. It’s really unfortunate.”

The 46-year-old was working out in the gym when he complained of chest pain, following which he was admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru where he breathed his last.