Rajkumar

Rajkumar ( Kannada ರಾಜ್‌ಕುಮಾರ್ ; born April 24, 1929 in Gajanur , Mysore ; † April 12, 2006 in Bangalore , Karnataka ; real name: Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Mutturaju , ಸಿಂಗಾನಲ್ಲೂರು ಪುಟ್ಟಸ್ವಾಮಿ ಮುತ್ತುರಾಜು) was one of the most famous Indian actors and playback singers of the Kannada film . His film career spanned over 45 years and he appeared in more than 200 film productions.

Life

Rajkumar began his career as an actor and singer in Gubbi Veeranna's theater company . The director HLN Simha gave him the name Rajkumar as a stage name for his debut film in 1954. The characters of Rajkumar's roles include everything from comedians to action heroes, amateur roles and mythological characters. He appeared together with most of the actors from the Karnataka film industry such as Leelavathi , Arathi and Jayanti , but also Jayapradha , Madhavi , Saritha and other actors from the film productions of neighboring states. His most important films include: his film debut in Simhas Bedara Kannapa (1954), Bangarada Manushya (1972), Kastoori Nivasa (1971), Sri Krishnadevaraya (1970) by BR Panthulu , Kula Gowrava (1971), Gandhada Gudi (1973), Sampathige Sawal (1974), Shankar Guru (1978), Sakshatkara (1971) by SR Puttanna Kanagal , Babruvahana (1977) by Hunsur Krishnamurthy , Bhakta Prahalada (1983), Halu Jenu (1982) and Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma (1985) - both by Singeetham Srinivasa Rao , Jeevana Chaitra (1992) - Rajkumar won a National Award as a singer with this film - and Akasmika (1993) by TS Nagabharana . In the 1990s he ended his career as an active actor and supported the acting careers of his sons Shiva and Raghavendra with his own film company Vajreshwari Combines . His last film was Shabdavedi (2000) with actress Jayapradha.

Rajkumar was honored with the Padma Bhushan by the Indian government and in 1995 received the highest state award for Indian filmmakers, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, in recognition of his contribution to the Kannada film industry.

On July 30, 2000, Rajkumar, his son-in-law and two other people were kidnapped from his country estate near Gajanur in Karnataka by the Tamil bandit Veerappan to press prisoners of his gang. On November 15 of the same year, he was released unharmed.

Rajkumar died of a heart attack. He had three sons ( Shiva , Raghavendra and Puneeth ), all of whom he was able to launch as Kannada film actors, and two daughters.

The government of Karnataka ordered two days of national mourning after his death . The body of Rajkumar was laid out in a stadium in Bangalore, where tens of thousands waited to bid farewell to their idol, who was worshiped as god-like, before his state funeral. There were violent riots with some deaths.

Filmography (selection)

1954: Bedara Kannappa
1956: Tenali Raman
1958: Bhukailasa
1959: Abba! A Hudgi
1959: Mahishasura Mardini
1960: Ranadheera Kanteerava
1961: Kittur Chanamma
1962: Bhoodana
1963: Veera Kesari
1964: Nandi
1965: Satya Harishchandra
1968: Hannele Chiguridaga
1969: Uyyale
1970: Shri Krishnadevaraya
1972: Bangarada Manushya
1983: Kavirathna Kalidas
1984: Shravana Banthu

Individual evidence

↑ Karnataka had informed T. Nadu of threat to Rajkumar in The Hindu of September 23, 2000

literature

Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Paul Willemen: Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema , p. 186 f.
Shyama Sundar Kulkarni: Dr. Rajkumar , Bangalore 1988
P. Lankesh : Innuru Chitragala Rajkumar in Lankesh Patrike magazine , July 1988

Web links

Commons : Rajkumar - collection of images, videos and audio files

personal data
SURNAME	Rajkumar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Mutturaju
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Indian actor and playback singer of the Kannada film
DATE OF BIRTH	April 24, 1929
PLACE OF BIRTH	Gajanur , Mysore
DATE OF DEATH	April 12, 2006
Place of death	Bangalore

[1] Karnataka had informed T. Nadu of threat to Rajkumar in The Hindu of September 23, 2000