Puneeth Rajkumar to be conferred honorary doctorate posthumously by University of Mysore

From recalling his unmatchable legacy to his exemplary performances in films, late Kannada star Puneeth Rajkumar's fans miss him to date. After passing away at an early age due to a heart attack, the late actor will be awarded an honorary doctorate posthumously by the University of Mysore (UoM) during the 102nd convocation on March 22.

Announcing this, university Vice-Chancellor Prof G Hemanth Kumar said that it's a gift to Puneet Rajkumar on his birth anniversary.“Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot has approved the doctorate to the actor. Puneeth Rajkumar’s wife Ashwini will receive the honorary doctorate,” Vice-Chancellor G Hemantha Kumar told reporters on Sunday. The chancellor added that the recognition given to the late actor is for his contribution to the world of art, social service, women's empowerment, and other areas. The late actor was a role model for all his fans and well-wishers. 

Honorary doctorate for late actor Puneeth Rajkumar

Puneet's father and Kannada superstar late Dr Rajkumar was also the recipient of honour from the university. Apart from the late actor, “Defence scientist and former director-general of Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre will also be awarded an honorary doctorate. He served as scientific advisor to the Defence Minister for five years contributing richly to research and development. Folk artiste Malavalli Mahadevaswamy will also be presented with an honorary doctorate,” Kumar added.

Meanwhile, Hemanth Kumar visited Puneet Rajkumar's residency at Sadashivanagara in Bengaluru and invited the late actor's wife to attend the convocation ceremony. Puneeth's wife Ashwini revealed that when the actor was alive, some people requested him to accept an honorary doctorate but he politely declined the suggestion and now he is receiving it posthumously. 

On the other hand, the late actor's last film James is all set to hit the theatres on March 17. Director Chethan Kumar had earlier announced that the upcoming film would hit the big screens on March 17 and fans eagerly await seeing their favourite superstar in a film for the last time. The film will be dubbed in various languages and will release in Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Telugu. Apart from Puneeth Rajkumar, the movie will also see Priya Anand, Srikanth, Tilak Shekar, Chikkanna, Shine Shetty, Anu Prabhakar, Aditya Menon, and much more taking in pivotal roles.

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