Rajinikanth traveled to Bengaluru to attend the Karnataka Ratna Award ceremony on Tuesday, November 1, which honoured the late Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar.
The Karnataka Ratna Award was posthumously conferred on Appu -- as Puneeth was widely known by his fans -- who died after suffering a heart attack on October 29, 2021.
NTR Jr, the Telugu movie star, was also present at the event, which was attended by Appu's family. Puneeth Rajkumar's late father Dr Rajkumar was inarguably Kannada cinema's biggest movie star.
Glimpses from the Karnataka Ratna Award ceremony:
IMAGE: Ashwini Puneeth receives the the Karnataka Ratna Award from Karnata Chief Minister Basavaraj S Bommai, on her late husband Puneeth Rajkumar's behalf, as Infosys Foundation Chairperson Sudha Murty, second from right, and NTR Jr look on. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Rajinikanth, Bommai, Ashwini Puneeth, Sudha Murty and NTR Junior at the ceremony. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo
IMAGE: The heavens open up as Bommai hails Puneeth Rajkumar's many contributions to cinema at the event which was held at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo
IMAGE: Rajinikanth at the 67th Kannada Rajyotsava celebrations at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo
IMAGE: Bommai meets Rajinikanth at the chief minister's residence in Bengaluru as Thalaiva's elder daughter Soundarya looks on. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Bommai also met NTR Jr at his Race Course Road residence. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: Rajinikanth is welcomed by Karnataka Minister for Health and Family Welfare Sudhakar K on his arrival at the HAL airport in Bengaluru to attend the event. Photograph: ANI Photo
IMAGE: It was in Bengaluru that Rajinikanth began his journey from bus conductor to Thalaiva, one of the most popular movie stars the world has seen. Photograph: ANI Photo
