Rajkumar

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Birth name Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju
Nationality Inde
Birth 24 april 1929
Death 12 april 2006 (at 76 years) at Bangalore (Inde)
Awards Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Filmfare Awards South

Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), known mononymously by his screen name Rajkumar (Kannada: ರಾಜ್‌ಕುಮಾರ್), was an Indian actor and singer in the Kannada Cinema. Widely acclaimed as one of the finest actor in the history of Indian Cinema, he is considered a cultural icon, and holds a Matinée idol status in the Kannada diaspora, among whom he is popularly adulated as Karnataka Rathna(Diamond of Karnataka State), Rajanna (Brother Raj), Varanata (Gifted actor), Natasarvabhouma (emperor of acting), Gaana Gandharva (singer in the court of Gods), and as Annavru (beloved elder brother).

A method actor, Rajkumar entered the film industry after his long stint as a dramatist with Gubbi Veeranna's Gubbi Drama Company, which he joined at the age of eight, and got his first break as a lead in the 1954 film Bedara Kannappa, and went on to work in over 220 films, the 2000 super hit Shabdavedhi being the last one. Well known for his highly disciplined and simple lifestyle in both personal and professional fronts, Rajkumar was also an avid Yoga, Pranayama and Carnatic music performer. He is also credited for being the only Indian super star who stayed away from acting the vicious acts of drinking, smoking and uttering swear words in all the roles he performed in his long spanning career of close to 50 years. At the age of 71, he was kidnapped from his farm house at Gajanur (the place where he was brought up) by forest brigand Veerappan. He was released after 108 days. He died of cardiac arrest at his residence in Bangalore on 12 April 2006.

In his film career, Rajkumar received eleven Karnataka State Film Awards, ten South Filmfare Awards, two National Film Awards and a National Film Award for Best Playback Singer. He received in 2002 the NTR National Award. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore, and is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995 for the lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema.

Biography

Family
Rajkumar married Parvathamma, with whom he had 5 children (two daughters and three sons). Two of his sons – Shivrajkumar and Puneet Rajkumar – have become actors in the Kannada film industry. His other son, Raghavendra Rajkumar, is an actor-turned-producer. and grandson Vinay Rajkumar made his debut in Siddharta

Kannada language movement

Although Rajkumar rejected numerous offers to don the political mantle, he was able to influence the State's political fortunes without ever being officially in politics. However, his apolitical outlook did not prevent him from protecting and espousing the cause of Kannada and Karnataka. He had time and again advocated the cause of seeking primacy to Kannada, and hence was asked to lead a movement about making Kannada a compulsory language for primary education based on the "Gokak report," popularly known as Gokak varadhi. He became actively involved in the movement and soon became the force behind the Gokak movement. He took a rally from Belgaum to Bangalore and gave speeches about the importance of Kannada. Millions of people gathered only to have a glimpse of Rajkumar and listen to his speech. The movement became such a rage that the government relented and made Kannada a compulsory language of education in Karnataka.

Discipline
Rajkumar was best regarded for being a highly disciplined man in both his personal and professional lives. He practised Carnatic music for an hour each in the morning and in the evening. His punctuality is another noted aspect. Waking up every morning at 4, he performed Yoga and Pranayama, which is said to be the reason behind Rajkumar's physical and mental fitness. His yoga performances can be seen in his film Kaamana Billu.

He was the epitome of good character in most of his films. He shunned smoking and drinking both on screen and off. To avoid setting a precedent among his fans, he made sure that the roles he accepted did not require him to smoke or drink or utter swear words, and extended this decision to real life. His dress code always consisted of simple white dhoti and shirt. He spent most of his vacations in his hometown, Gajanur, near the forest area where he was later abducted.

Abduction

On 30 July 2000, Rajkumar, his son-in-law Govindaraju, and two others were abducted by Veerappan from the actor's palatial house at Gajanur ( Erode district of Tamil Nadu). Veerappan demanded the release of his gang members who were being held in jail under a defunct anti-terrorism law. The event prompted a massive manhunt and threw the Karnataka government into crisis. The Supreme Court of India opined that it was "unpardonable" on the part of the Government of Tamil Nadu for not providing security to Rajkumar, although they had information a year earlier that he faced a threat of being kidnapped by Veerappan. The Special Task Force (STF) set up to capture Veerapan had earlier warned Rajkumar against visiting the farmhouse, but his son Raghavendra Rajkumar later acknowledged that his father had not taken the threat seriously.

After a total of 108 days in captivity, Rajkumar was released unharmed on 15 November 2000. His abduction and the manner in which his release was secured are a mystery. Upon his return to Bangalore, he knelt down in front of the helicopter with his hands folded and paid respect to the Karnataka soil highlighting his Kannada pride.

According to the Outlook magazine, there are many uncomfortable questions on the role played by the granite lobby in the whole kidnap and release of Dr. Raj. The granite mafia had links with Veerappan in the MM Hills region, and souring ties between them is said to have led to the abduction of Dr. Raj. Added to this mystery was the supposed links of Dr. Raj's son Appu with the granite lobby. According to officers of the Department of Mines and Geology, Karnataka, Puneet's name came up in 1995, when a raid was done on illegal quarries by the Kanakapura Police. Then the Minister for Mines and Geology M D Jayaram, of the H D Deve Gowda government had announced in the Karnataka Assembly, that Puneet was one of the many people who were raided. According to a Congress MLA, the matter was hushed up due to pressure exerted by the influential family. According to sources, Puneet owed the granite lobby 30-40 lakhs. These allegations were however denied by Appu.

Death
Rajkumar died at his home in Sadashivanagar, Bangalore on 12 April 2006 following a cardiac arrest. As per his wishes, his eyes were donated to 2 people the next day.

The Karnataka government announced its intention to make a ₹100 million memorial in memory of Rajkumar at Kanteerava Studios. After Rajkumar's demise, as a tribute and remembrance his fans have unveiled more than 50 statues of Rajkumar, spread across Bangalore city.

Riots following death
His death precipitated a statewide reaction. Following the news of his death, there was major unrest in the city of Bangalore. The then Chief Minister, H. D. Kumaraswamy, later claimed that the violence was instigated by vested political interests. However the opposition blamed it on lack of timely arrangements by responsible organisations. An unofficial bandh (closure of all shops and other establishments) was announced. More than 1000 vehicles were burnt and eight people were killed in police firing. Several people attempted suicide after hearing of Rajkumar's death; most of them were rescued. Around two million people followed his remains. Some of the unrest was caught on film during the "Outsourcing" episode of the Morgan Spurlock show 30 Days.

His death sparked large violence in Bangalore, with violent fans resorting to stone throwing and arson. The suburbs mainly affected were Bellary Road, Magadi Road, Sadashivanagar, and the Kanteerava Indoor Stadium. The violence led to nearly 25 police personnel being injured, OB vans of private Media channels and reporters being attacked, petrol bunk near Hudson Circle being burnt, etc. Stones and bottles were thrown on building and vehicles by the grieving fans. In order to prevent attacks, vehicle drivers put up posters of Rajkumar on their windscreens. The violence resulted in the death of 8 people, including a policeman (Manjunath Malladi (28)) who was lynched to death by the unruly mob. Hundreds of vehicles were damaged, including 20 police vehicles. About $40m losses were reported by software companies, as they had to shut down operations. The Bangalore Police arrested nearly 742 people for rioting, with most being identified from news footage and video clippings. Further the violence and police action resulted in more than 100 people being injured, which included many police personnel. 3 Petrol bunks were set on fire, 4 cinema halls burnt, 25 trucks parked in the Devraj Urs Terminal were destroyed. The Yeshwanthpur police station and the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) office, which were located on the funeral procession path were completely ransacked with Police vehicles set on fire. The body which was kept at the Kanteerava Stadium for public viewing was moved at 12.30pm to the Kanteerava Film Studios for final rites, and the fans who had been waiting in line to pay respects and were denied a chance resorted to violence. The funeral procession itself was marred with violence, with fans trying to forcibly barge in.

The funeral procession covered K.R. Circle, Palace Road, T. Chowdiah Road, Cauvery Theatre Junction, Sadashivnagar, Yeshwantapur and Goraguntepalya, before reaching Kanteerva Studios. The fans stopped the cortege, and was allowed to proceed further after much pleading by Rajkumar's sons. As a result of the violence, the CM H D Kumaraswamy and then Deputy CM Yediyurappa could not make it for the final rites. Parvathamma Rajkumar was also anguished as she was unable to see her husband's body for the last time because of the chaos.