Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), known mononymously by his screen name Rajkumar, was an actor and singer in the Kannada film industry. He is considered a cultural icon of Kannada, where he is also known as Rajanna, 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 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. At the age of 71, he was kidnapped in 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 national highest film award Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995 for the lifetime contribution to indian film industry.
Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Kannada, National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer
Nominations
Filmfare Award for Best Film, Filmfare Award for Best Editing, Screen Award for Best Director, Screen Award for Best Film, BIG Star Most Entertaining Social Film, Guild Award for Best Story, Filmfare Award for Best Film – Tamil, BIG Star Most Entertaining Comedy Film, Stardust Award for Best Direc...
16 movies with Rajkumar as a hero were released in a single year in 1968.
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Bangalore, India [July 2005]
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Dr. Rajkumar has sung the only English song in the history of Kannada movies in Dorairaj Bhagawan's 1978 Kannada film 'Operation Diamond Rocket'.
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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.
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His fans called him "Annavaru" which means "respected elder brother" in the Kannada language.
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He was a former child actor who became one of southern India's best-loved movie stars. He appeared in more than 200 Kannada-language movies over five decades, and had millions of devoted fans. He starred in action movies, mythological sagas, and romances. He frequently played rugged heroes who defeated scheming villains; but he never smoked a cigarette on screen, and rarely played a drunkard.
$300,000
