Kannada film star Puneeth Rajkumar dies at 46 from cardiac arrest after working out

Indian actor Puneeth Rajkumar died of cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on Friday at age 46. 

In a statement from Vikram Hospital in the city of Bangalore, Dr. Ranganath Nayak, a cardiologist at the hospital, confirmed the death saying that Rajkumar was unresponsive and his heart had stopped beating when he arrived.

The Press Trust of India news agency said Rajkumar complained of chest pains after working out for two hours at a gymn. He was rushed to the hospital shortly after, but he couldn’t be saved. 

Fans rushed to the streets outside of the private hospital where Rajkumar had died. India Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted his grief of the young actor's death saying “A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go. The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.”

Rajkumar was a singer and film and television actor, starring in over 29 films, becoming one of the biggest stars of India’s Kannada language film industry. His father Rajkumar was one of the biggest stars in southern India.

His first leading role came in the 2002 Kannada movie, “Appu.” Prior, he had been acting since the 80s where he starred in movies including “Vasantha Geetha,” “Bhagyavantha,” “Chalisuva Modagalu” and “Eradu Nakshatragalu." He was also the host of India's version of "Who Wants to be a Millionaire."

He is survived by his wife, Ashwini Revanth and two daughters.

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AP contributed to this story