Dr Rajkumar Birth Anniversary: 10 Lesser-known Facts About the Legendary 'Annavaru'

DR RAJKUMAR’S 94TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY: Today is 94th birth anniversary of Kannada superstar Rajkumar. Considered as one of the most talented and popular actors of Kannada industry, Rajkumar was born on April 29, 1929, in a poor family of actors, and went on to become one of the greatest.

Rajkumar isn’t just a cultural icon. He holds a status which goes beyond that being an idol in the Kannada diaspora. He is popularly remembered as Nata Saarvabhouma (Emperor of Actors), Bangarada Manushya (Man of Gold), Vara Nata (Gifted Actor) and Rajanna (Brother Raj). Rajkumar joined the film industry following his stint as a dramatist with Gubbi Veeranna’s Gubbi Drama Company at the age of eight. He is also called ‘Annavaru’ which means ‘Respected elder brother’ in Kannada.

Remembering the thespian on his 94th birth anniversary, here are some little-known facts about the actor:

1. Rajkumar was born as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju in Gajanur and was brought up in a poor family.
2. He only studied up to 3rd standard before he dropped out of school. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, a traveling actor who performed in various villages.
3. Before acting in what would become his first film as a lead, Bedara Kannappa, he appeared in Sri Srinivasa Kalyana in 1952, as one of the seven Saptarishi (sages). It was an insignificant role, he remembered the scene was over before he recognized himself in the scene.
4. He frequently played rugged heroes who defeated scheming villains, but he never smoked a cigarette on screen, and rarely played a drunkard. He acted in over 200 films and never played a villain.
5. His fans called him ‘Annavaru’ which means ‘respected elder brother’ in the Kannada language.
6. On July 30, 2000, he was kidnapped by a notorious bandit named Veerappan who had spent decades eluding police in the forests of southern India. Kumar was freed after 109 days of being held hostage in the forest. He denied reports that a large ransom was paid.
7. Trained in classical music during his theater days, Rajkumar also became an accomplished singer in Kannada cinema and despite imperfections in Shruti and pitch, he came to be known for his diction in the language. He mostly sang for his own films since 1974.
8. Dr. Rajkumar has sung the only English song in the history of Kannada movies in Dorairaj Bhagawan’s 1978 Kannada film Operation Diamond Rocket.
9. In the year 1968, 16 movies with Rajkumar as a hero were released in a single year
10. In his film career, Rajkumar received eleven Karnataka State Film Awards, ten South Filmfare Awards, one National Film Award. He received the NTR National Award in 2002. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore and is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan in 1983 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995 for the lifetime contribution to Indian Cinema.

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