Puneeth Rajkumar introduced Kannada cinema to me with Dr Rajkumar films: John Kokken

Sarpatta Parambarai’s Vembuli, John Kokken met the late Puneeth Rajkumar back in 2010, when he got a role in Prithvi. “When I met him for the first time, I had no clue about the Kannada film industry, or for that matter, his family lineage and legacy. The only thing I knew about Dr Rajkumar was his abduction by forest brigand Veerappan. As I spoke to Puneeth, he welcomed me heartily to the Kannada film industry and asked what I knew of it. I had to be honest and told him that I had no clue whatsoever. The very next day, he gave me CDs, at least 20-25, of his father’s films and asked me to watch all of them to get an idea. That was my introduction to Kannada cinema. And, truth be told, it was only then that I realized who I was working with, in terms of the magnitude of his stardom and legacy. But what struck me most was that despite this star status, Puneeth never once threw that might around. Yes, he had an aura about him, but he was the most kind, simple, and humble man I have come across, who treated everyone with respect,” reminisces John about his first collaboration with the late Power Star.

Puneeth, adds John, also took it upon himself to try and teach the latter a smattering of Kannada. “He would talk to me in Kannada to help me pick up the language. Also, given that the film had some amazing fight sequences, we developed a good bond over time. In fact, by the time I was done with Prithvi, he told me that I should visit him whenever I am back in Bengaluru. Over the years, it’s been a routine for me to visit the entire family, including his brothers, Raganna (Raghavendra Rajkumar) and Shivanna (Shivarajkumar), which continues even now, because I love how welcoming they are,” he says.

Their next filmi collaboration, though, was only in Anna Bond. “After that, I had a small role in Yuvarathnaa, while I play an antagonist in James. I have worked with Shivanna too, on Mylari and Shiva. So, I have an amazing bond with the family,” says John, adding, “My biggest takeaway from my association with Puneeth and the rest of the Rajkumar family was the respect with which they treated their fans. Puneeth always said that without fans he is nothing, a lesson he learnt from his father. I learnt some of the best life lessons from Puneeth and only had good experiences with him.”

John and some of the other cast members of James had to shoot some portions of the film after Puneeth’s demise. “It wasn’t easy, as a lot of us were quite close to Puneeth. We’d talk and then end up crying. Those were tough days, but we knew we had to do it for Puneeth and here we are today, only a day away from the film’s release. I am quite excited for the world to see James,” he signs off.