Aamir inspired me to take up 'Prithvi': Puneeth

Kannada actor Puneeth Rajkumar, youngest son of late actor Rajkumar, is a huge fan of Aamir Khan and says the Bollywood star inspired him to accept the lead role in "Prithvi".

"To me, it was challenging to play the role of an IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer... I am a huge fan of him. I was too impressed by one of Aamir's films and that is what inspired me to take up a film like 'Prithvi'," the 37-year-old said in an interview to CNN-IBN for their show Southern Stars.

In the 2010 release, Puneeth was seen as an honest IAS Officer whose main aim is to eradicate the ongoing corruption in the district and stick to his principles a la Aamir's role in 1999 hit movie "Sarfarosh".

Puneeth worked as a child artist and appeared in almost 12 films, but when he grew older he decided to try other things before wearing greasepaint.

"I wanted to do try out different things. I tried my hands at granite and construction business. After that I came into my family business of distributing and also worked as a manager of couple of films.

"I did not want to get into acting again. But, it was perhaps impossible to be doctor Rajkumar's son and not enter the film world. In 2001, Puri Jagannath was directing a film... My father said why not try it. That movie was titled 'Appu'," he said.

The actor now has the unenviable task of guarding the Rajkumar legacy and taking it forward.

Remembering his late father, he said: "Nobody in Karnataka can ever be compared to Rajkumar. He is the best and will always remain so."

The interview will be aired Saturday on the channel and the repeat telecast will be Sunday.