Rajkumar

Dr. Rajkumar (Real Name: Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju April 24, 1929 - April 12, 2006) was the most popular actor in Kannada's movie industry. He was seen as a role model to millions of Kannadigas.

Dr. Rajkumar
A 2009 stamp of India showing Dr. Rajkumar
Born	Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (1929-04-24)24 April 1929 Doddagajanur, India
Died	12 April 2006(2006-04-12) (aged 76) Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Occupation(s)	Actor, singer
Years active	1954–2000
Spouse	Parvathamma Rajkumar ​ ​ (m. 1953)​
Children	5 (including Shiva Rajkumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar, Puneeth Rajkumar)
Honors	Padma Bhushan (1983), Karnataka Ratna (1992), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1995)

"Dr. Raj" or "Natasarvabhouma" or "Annavru" (Big Brother) to millions of his fans, he was also called the John Wayne of South Indian cinema.^[1] He acted in more than 200 movies over 50 years. Most of his movies have become very important in the Kannada movie industry. He was also a well-known singer.^[2][3]

Early life

Dr. Rajkumar was born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju on April 24, 1929, in Gajanur, a village on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. He came from a theater background. His father, Puttaswamayya, was a stage actor and young Rajkumar often watched his father's plays. This created his love for acting from a young age.

Acting career

Dr. Rajkumar began his film career with the movie Bedara Kannappa in 1954. The film was a big success and made him a star overnight. Over the next 50 years, he acted in more than 200 Kannada films. Many of his movies became famous and are now seen as classics. Some popular movies include Bangarada Manushya, Kasturi Nivasa, Jeevana Chaitra and Bhakta Prahlada.

He was known for playing good, honest and strong characters. He never acted in movies that showed bad habits like smoking or drinking, as he wanted to set a good example for others.

Singing talent

Apart from acting, Dr. Rajkumar was also a talented singer. He sang many songs in his own movies and received praise for his soulful voice. His song "Yaare Koogadali" is still very popular.

Kidnapping incident

In July 2000, Dr. Rajkumar was kidnapped by forest bandit Veerappan from his home in Gajanur. He was held hostage for 108 days before being released. This incident shocked and worried fans all over Karnataka.

Death

Dr. Rajkumar died on April 12, 2006, from a heart attack. His death caused great sadness across Karnataka. Thousands of people came to pay their respects.^[4][5]