Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju known mononymously by his stage name Rajkumar and , Appaji was an Indian actor and singer in the Kannada Cinema. Widely acclaimed as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian Cinema,
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 year 1954 film Bedara Kannappa, and went on to work in over 220 films, in the year 2000 super hit Shabdavedhi being the last acted movie.
Rajkumar was born on 24 April 1929 in Gajanur, a hamlet in a predominantly Kannada-speaking Talavadi taluk in the erstwhile Madras Presidency (in present-day Erode district, Tamil Nadu). His father, Puttaswamayya and mother, Lakshmamma were impoverished theatre artists from Singanallur.Puttaswamayya was good at playing roles like Kamsa, Ravana and Hiranyakashipu. Rajkumar left school at eight and was later discovered by film producers, who cast him in bit roles that he played till he was 25. Originally, he was named Mutturaja, after the Muthaththii Raya (a name for the Hindu deity Hanuman), which is a temple deity located in Muthathi, a settlement on the banks of river Kaveri in present-day Karnataka.
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.
Rajkumar is the first Indian artist to enact a role of James Bond in Jedara Bale.[25] Later, in Operation Jackpotnalli CID 999, Goadalli CID 999, and Operation Diamond Racket where he played roles chronicling the adventures of Prakash aka Agent CID 999, a James Bondesque superspy.
Rajkumar was awarded numerous State,National & International awards. He was a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, a doctorate from Mysore University, and the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian honour of the State of Karnataka, recognising him as a "Jewel of Karnataka State".In 1985, he was honored by a famous Kentucky colonel award by the then-governor of Kentucky, United States. By this he became the only Indian actor to receive this prestigious from the Kentucky state, United States of America. In 1995 he received the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his outstanding contributions to the Kannada film industry.
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 age 71, he was kidnapped from his farm house at Gajanur by Veerappan. He was released after 108 days.
He breathed his last of cardiac arrest at his residence in Bangalore on 12 April 2006 at the age of 77.
Department of Posts released a commemorative postage stamp on Dr Rajkumar
Issued Date : 01.11.2009
Denomination : 500 Paise
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