Rajkumar (Actor)

Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), known mononymously by his stage name Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer in the Kannada cinema. Widely acclaimed as one of the finest actors 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 Nata Saarvabhouma (emperor of actors), Bangarada Manushya (man of gold), Vara Nata (gifted actor) and Rajanna (elder brother, Raj) . 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, before he got his first break as a lead in the 1954 film Bedara Kannappa.[6] He went on to work in over 220 films essaying a variety of roles, and excelling in portraying mythological and historical characters in films such as Bhakta Kanakadasa (1960), Ranadheera Kanteerava (1960), Satya Harishchandra (1965), Immadi Pulikeshi (1967), Sri Krishnadevaraya (1970), Bhakta Kumbara (1974), Mayura (1975), Babruvahana (1977) and Bhakta Prahlada (1983).[7] Trained in classical music during his theatre days, Rajkumar also became an accomplished playback singer 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. The songs "Yaare Koogadali", "Huttidare Kannada", "Hey Dinakara", "Hrudaya Samudra" and "Naadamaya" became widely popular. For his rendition of the latter song, he was awarded the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. 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. In 2000, he was kidnapped from his farmhouse at Gajanur by Veerappan and was released after 108 days. His final screen appearance came in Jogi in 2005. He died of cardiac arrest at his residence in Bangalore on 12 April 2006 at the age of 77.