Rajkumar (actor)

Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), known mononymously by his screen name Rajkumar, 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 Devata Maushya (Godman), Karnataka Rathna (Jewel of Karnataka State), Varanata (Gifted actor), Rajanna (Brother Raj), Natasarvabhouma (emperor of acting),Gaana Gandharva (singer in the court of Gods), Annavru (beloved elder brother), Rasikararaja (King of crazy people) and much more.

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.