Leading Bollywood star Puneeth Rajkumar has died aged 46 today following a heart attack, sparking a wave of mourning across India.
The 'extremely fit' actor complained of chest pain during a gym workout around 11am this morning and was seen by a doctor who diagnosed him with an acute heart attack.
He was immediately taken to Vikram Hospital in Bengaluru, the capital of southern Karnataka state, where he arrived 'unresponsive' and was later pronounced dead at 2.30pm.
He is survived by his wife Ashwini Revanth, who he married in 1999, and their two teenage daughters, Drithi and Vandhitha. Rajkumar was a dashing lead actor in 29 movies and also appeared on television, where he was the host of India's version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire.'
Following the news that he had been transferred to hospital, a large crowd gathered outside the hospital in Bengaluru as news of his heart attack spread in the city.
Dr. Ranganath Nayak, a cardiologist at the hospital, said in a statement that Rajkumar was unresponsive and his heart had ceased beating when he arrived.
Mr Puneeth Rajkumar was an extremely fit 46-year-old gentleman. This morning, after his routine exercise, he complained of chest pain and was taken to his family doctor where he was diagnosed with an acute heart attack and he was immediately referred to our hospital for further management.
'On arrival at our hospital, Mr. Puneeth Rajkumar was non-responsive and his heart had stopped - this is called Cardiac Asystole.'Despite prolonged attempts at resuscitation from a panel of medical experts, the actor remained in a non-responsive state and his heart refused to pick up. He was declared dead at 2.30pm.
Condolences to Rajkumar's family have flooded social media from fans, several film stars and politicians, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourning Rajkumar's death.
'A cruel twist of fate has snatched away from us a prolific and talented actor, Puneeth Rajkumar. This was no age to go,' the Indian premier said in a tweet.
'The coming generations will remember him fondly for his works and wonderful personality. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti.'