Dr. Rajkumar
Indian actor and singer, icon of Kannada cinema.
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj, who performed as Dr. Rajkumar, lived from 24 April 1929 to 12 April 2006. He was an actor and singer in Kannada cinema. Within the Kannada diaspora, he is seen as a cultural icon and matinée idol, and he remains the only lead actor to have won a National Award for playback singing.
Born to impoverished theatre artists Puttaswamayya and Lakshmamma in Gajanur, a hamlet in Talavady taluk, his mother tongue was Kannada. His father was skilled at playing mythological villains like Kamsa, Ravana, and Hiranyakashipu. Muthuraj left school at age eight and later took small film roles until he turned 25. He was named after Muthaththi Raya, a name for the Hindu deity Hanuman, from the Muthathi temple on the Kaveri river in Kanakapura taluk, Ramanagara District.
He began acting in a drama troupe led by Gubbi Veeranna, then joined Subbaiah Naidu’s company. In 1953, director H. L. N. Simha, seeking a well-built, pleasant-faced lead for *Bedara Kannappa* (1954), signed him and gave him the stage name Rajkumar. Before that, he had appeared as Sage Agasthya in *Sri Srinivasa Kalyana* (1952), a role so brief his scene ended before he recognized himself. His first credited film appearance is often cited as this 1952 film; the claim of a child role in *Bhakta Prahlada* (1942) is disputed and not part of established canon. Apart from one Telugu film—*Kalahasti Mahatyam* (1954), a remake of his debut—he acted only in Kannada movies.
Over 205 films, he played a wide variety of roles, excelling in mythological and historical parts in movies 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). Thirteen of his films won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada within fifteen years (1954–1968), and seventeen received Karnataka State Film Awards across five categories.
Trained in classical music during his theatre days, he became an accomplished playback singer, mostly singing for his own films after 1974. Popular songs include *Yaare Koogadali*, *Huttidare Kannada*, *Hey Dinakara*, *Hrudaya Samudra*, *Manikyaveena*, and *Naadamaya*. For *Naadamaya*, he won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer.
- Born
- 24 April 1929
- Died
- 12 April 2006
- Field
- Actor, playback singer
- Nationality
- Indian
- Known for
- Kannada cinema, cultural icon, Padma Bhushan (1983), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1995)
Lore & Background
Rajkumar entered the film industry after a long stint as a dramatist with Gubbi Veeranna's Gubbi Drama Company, which he joined at age eight. His first lead role was in the 1954 film Bedara Kannappa. He went on to work in over 205 films, excelling in mythological and historical characters 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). He is the only Indian actor to portray four prominent kings of Indian history: Kanthirava Narasaraja I, Pulakeshin II, Krishnadevaraya, and Mayurasharma.
Trained in classical music during his theatre days, Rajkumar became an accomplished playback singer, mostly singing for his films since 1974. He won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song Naadamaya. He was the first actor in India to enact a James Bond-style role in a full-fledged manner, and the success of his film Jedara Bale is credited with inspiring an Indian bond genre. In 2000, he was kidnapped from his farmhouse by Veerappan and released after 108 days. He died of cardiac arrest on 12 April 2006, and his eyes were donated as per his last wish.
Reader's Guide
Dr. Rajkumar is a central figure in Kannada cinema, credited with redefining the industry and putting it on the national map. His 39 movies have been remade 63 times in 9 languages by 34 actors, making him the first actor whose films were remade more than fifty times and in nine languages. He holds the record for the most Filmfare Awards for Best Actor – Kannada and Karnataka State Film Awards for Best Actor. He received the Padma Bhushan in 1983 and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995. Forbes included his performance in Bangaarada Manushya on its list of '25 Greatest Acting Performances of Indian Cinema' in 2013. He is the only Indian actor awarded the Kentucky Colonel, the highest honor from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. His disciplined lifestyle and practice of yoga, pranayama, and Carnatic music were well known. He was a socio-cultural symbol for Kannadigas worldwide.
Did You Know?
- He is the only lead actor to win a National Award for playback singing.
- His 1986 film Anuraga Aralithu was the first Indian movie to be remade in seven other languages.
- He was the first Indian actor to be bestowed with an honorary doctorate for acting.
- He was the first actor to play the lead role in 100 as well as 200 Kannada movies.
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