Mandya: Crores of fans are mourning to the untimely demise of Power Star Puneet Raj Kumar who is known for his simple and innocent smile. Fondly called as Appu, he has been helping thousands of people in many ways in State.
Many do not know Appu used to visit Jai Bhuvaneshwari Hotel in Baburayanakoppal in Srirangapattana Taluk of Mandya District, frequently. Though the hotel is small which is situated beside Bengaluru-Mysuru State highway it has VIPs as customers.
The hotel is well-known for non-vegetarian food particularly mutton head meat and leg soup. Appu was fond of this hotels’ mutton speciality. During shooting anywhere in Mysuru and Mandya Districts, Appu and Shivarajkumar would send their drivers to bring our mutton delicacy, said hotel owner Akash on Friday October 29.
He said many actors like Darshan, and Chiranjeevi Sarja take and would take parcel from them. Though Appu likes to have food in hotel, to avoid crowd gathering, he would prefer parcel. This love towards this mutton delicacy started right from his father Dr. Rajkumar. Even when the hotel was running in a small hut, Dr. Raj used to visit the hotel. Akash told that the hotel started during 1960s by his grandfather Sannegowda, now is being run by his five sons.
In Halaguru in Mandya District, Babu hotel is famous for soft idlies. The hotel owner Krishna told that both Shivarajkumar and Puneet liked the Idlies from the hotel very much. He used to provide idlies to Appu at shooting spots. He said that during shooting of Arasu Kannada film he took the parcel and gave it to Appu. He had appreciated it and told that he had never seen such smooth idlies anywhere. He said last week he had met Appu in Bengaluru where he told that he would visit Halaguru soon. Grieving Krishna said he would never meet such a simple man in future.
Appu also lend financial help to the family of a farmer in Ganada Hosur village in Pandavapura Taluk five years back when he died by suicide, unable to pay loans. He also donated furniture to Gejjalagere Government School in Mandya Taluk.
