Superstar Rajinikanth paid an emotional tribute to the late Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar who passed away last month.

Puneeth passed away on 29th October at the age of 46 due to a cardiac arrest. Rajinikanth, who was admitted to the hospital for surgery at the time, took to voice-based social media platform Hoote to mourn Appu's demise.

"I am recovering and I am getting better. I was in the hospital, when Mr Puneeth Rajkumar left all of us. I was informed of the news only after a couple of days, and I was deeply saddened to hear that. He was a child who grew up in front of me - a talented, affectionate, disciplined child. He has left us at such a young age when he was at the peak of success and fame. His loss for the Kannada Film Industry is irreparable. I have no words to console his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace," said Rajinikanth in the moving note.

The untimely death of Puneeth had sent shockwaves across the country. Actors from all over the country have been paying their tributes to the late actor.

Puneeth is the son of legendary actor Rajkumar and Parvathamma. Starting his career as a child artist at a very young age, he went on to win the National Film Award for Best Child Artist for his performance in Bettada Hoovu in 1985. He also won the Karnataka State Award for Best Child Artist for his performances in Chalisuva Modagalu and Yeradu Nakshatragalu. 

In a career spanning two decades as a hero, the actor, fondly called Appu and Powestar, acted in several successful films and had one of the largest fanbases in the Kannada film industry.