Fans celebrating the re-release of Puneeth Rajkumar’s ‘Appu’ at a single screen in Bengaluru on Friday.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN
Kannada film Appu, released on April 26, 2002, catapulted its debut hero Puneeth Rajkumar to stardom. The film was re-released on March 14, s a part of the late actor’s 50th birth anniversary celebrations.
A promise kept
PRK Productions, helmed by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, the actor’s wife, has promised fans a re-release of one Puneeth film every year. Puneeth, known for blockbusters such as Appu (2002), Abhi (2003), Jackie (2010), and Raajakumara (2017), passed away at the age of 46 following a cardiac arrest in 2021.
On Friday, fans flocked to the theatre to watch their favourite star, who debuted in an action-packed love story directed by Telugu filmmaker Puri Jagannadh. Rakshita, who starred opposite Puneeth in Appu, also made her acting debut with the film. The movie was produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar, Puneeth’s mother, under the banner Poornima Enterprises (also known as Vajreshwari Combines).
A dream launch
“It was a dream launch for a heroine,“ said Rakshita, daughter of legendary cinematographer B C Gowrishankar and actor Mamatha Rao. “To work under the prestigious banner was a huge responsibility for me. I am forever grateful to the team for putting my career in the right direction.”
A re-mastered 4K version of Appu, with audio clean-up, was released across Karnataka on 200 screens. More than 20,000 tickets were sold on the opening day of the re-release. Shows opened as early as 6:30 am, and thousands of fans flocked to single screens and multiplexes across the State.
“I remember watching Appu in Shivamogga when it was released. I became a huge fan of Puneeth after that,“ said Ashwin Kumar PT, an HR professional. “Today was a holiday thanks to Holi, so I watched the film thrice today, twice at Veeresh theatre (Magadi Road) and once at Narthaki (KG Road),“ he said.
‘Prince‘ Manu, a film publicist, remembers meeting Puneeth near the Dr Rajkumar Memorial at the Kanteerava Studio in 2009. “He (Puneeth) wished me on birthdays and even visited our family restaurant. I watched Appu twice today. My favourite films of Puneeth are Paramathma (2011)and Veera Kannadiga (2004),“ he said.
Concert-like ambience
Movie halls witnessed a concert-like atmosphere as fans danced to evergreen numbers such as Jolly Go Jolly Go (lyrics from Hamsalekha) and Talibaan Alla Alla (written by Upendra). Music composer Gurukiran spoke about the experience of composing the hit album, which had bagged the audio rights for Rs 40 lakh.
“I wanted the songs in the film to have a youthful energy,” said Gurukiran. The composer was apprehensive of English lyrics in the songs. “I didn’t know how Dr Rajkumar, sir, and Parvathamma ma’am would react. But Puneeth was the bridge between us, and he ensured our ideas got approved.”
Puneeth, who had succeeded as a child actor, transitioned smoothly into a hero with Appu. Watching the re-release, fans re-lived their fond memories of watching the actor on the big screen as they cheered the actor’s dance steps, punch dialogues, and stunt sequences.
Published – March 14, 2025 09:45 pm IST
