Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006),[4] better known by his

stage name Dr. Rajkumar,[a] was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema.
Regarded as one of the greatest actors in the history of Indian cinema[6][7] and a versatile actor,[8]
[9]
he is considered a cultural icon and holds a matinée idol status in the Kannada diaspora,[10]
[11]
among whom he is popularly called as Nata Saarvabhouma (Emperor of Actors), Bangarada
Manushya (Man of Gold), Vara Nata (Gifted actor), Gaana Gandharva (Celestial
singer), Rasikara Raja (King of connoisseurs), Kannada Kanteerava and Rajanna/Annavru (Elder
brother, Raj). He was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1983 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award in
1995.[12] He is the only lead actor to win National Award for singing.[13] His 35 movies have been
remade 58 times in 9 languages by 34 actors making him the first actor whose movies were
remade more than fifty times [14] and the first actor whose movies were remade in nine languages.
[15]
He was the first actor in India to enact a role which was based on James Bond in a full-fledged
manner.[16] The success of his movie Jedara Bale is credited to have widely inspired a Desi bond
genre in other Indian film industries.[17] On the occasion of the "Centenary of Indian Cinema" in
April 2013, Forbes included his performance in Bangaarada Manushya on its list of "25 Greatest
Acting Performances of Indian Cinema".[18] Upon his death, The New York Times had described
him as one of India's most popular movie stars.[19]

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. He went on to work in over 205 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).[20] 13 of his
films have received National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada (Rajat Kamal) within a
span of 15 years from 1954 to 1968. 17 of his films have received Karnataka State Film
Awards in five different categories.

Trained in classical music during his theatre days, Rajkumar also became an accomplished
playback singer. He mostly sang for his films since 1974. The songs Yaare Koogadali, Huttidare
Kannada, Hey Dinakara, Hrudaya Samudra, Manikyaveena and Naadamaya became widely
popular. For his rendition of the latter song, he was awarded the National Film Award for Best
Male Playback Singer.

He is the only Indian actor to be awarded the Kentucky Colonel, the highest honour bestowed by
the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States.[21][22] 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.[23] He died of cardiac
arrest at his residence in Bangalore on 12 April 2006 at the age of 76.[24] His eyes were donated
as per his last wish.[25]

In his film career, Rajkumar received eleven Karnataka State Film Awards, including nine Best
Actor and two Best Singer awards, eight Filmfare Awards South and one National Film Award.
[26]
He holds the record of receiving Filmfare Award for Best Actor – Kannada and Karnataka
State Film Award for Best Actor the highest number of times. He received the NTR National
Award in 2002. He was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore,[27] and is a
recipient of the Padma Bhushan (1983)[28] and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1995) for lifetime
contribution to Indian cinema.[29] He was also the first Indian actor to be bestowed with an
honorary doctorate for acting.[30] A mega icon and a socio-cultural symbol of Kannada,[31] he has
been credited with redefining Kannada cinema[32] and also putting the Kannada cinema on the
national map.[33] He was the first actor to play the lead role in 100 as well as 200 Kannada
movies.[34] His 1986 movie Anuraga Aralithu was the first Indian movie to be remade in seven
other languages.[35]
Early life[edit]
Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj was born in a Kannada-speaking family[36][37][38] on 24 April
1929 in Dodda Gajanur,[39] a hamlet in the Talavady taluk. His father Puttaswamayya and mother
Lakshmamma were impoverished theatre artists from Singanalluru.[40] His mother tongue
was Kannada.[38][41] Puttaswamayya was good at playing mythological roles such
as Kamsa, Ravana, and Hiranyakashipu. Muthuraj left school at eight and was later discovered
by film producers, who cast him in small roles that he played till he was 25.[40]

He was named Muthuraj, after Muthaththi 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.[42]

Career[edit]
As actor