Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Through his over five-decade long career of over 200 films, he was regarded one of the most pivotal and influential figures of the Kannada film industry. His films were praised for acting as a bridge between the popular and art films because of the theme of the story and their treatment. He debuted as a child actor in the 1942 Kannada film Bhakta Prahlada. His first role as an adult came in Sri Srinivasa Kalyana (1952) and as a lead, two years later, in Bedara Kannappa, which gave him stardom. He debuted as a singer with the track Om Namaha Shivaya from the 1956 film Ohileshwara. In 1960, he made his debut as a producer by producing Ranadheera Kanteerava. According to Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Paul Willemen in the book Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Ranadheera Kanteerava was the first "big hit" in Kannada cinema. In a film career spanning fifty years, 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. Along with Vishnuvardhan and Ambareesh, he is counted in Kannada cinema's "triumvirate" as its most celebrated actor.

In 1983, Rajkumar was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, for his contributions to Indian cinema, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995. In 1985, he became the first Indian actor to receive the Kentucky Colonel, an honorary order from the governor of Kentucky, United States. 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". Upon his death, The New York Times had described him as one of India's most popular movie stars. He received the NTR National Award in 2002 and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore. Dr. Rajkumar Samagra Charithre - a two-volume book by film critic D. Rukkoji on the life and achievements of Rajkumar won the Swarna Kamal Award at the 63rd National Film Awards under the National Film Award for Best Book on Cinema category. On the occasion of Rajkumar's 100th film Government of Karnataka honored him with the title of Nata Saarvabhouma.http://www.filmibee.in/2016/04/govt-of-karnataka-organizes-88th.html He is also the first film star to win the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer for the song Naadamaya Ee Lokavella from the film Jeevana Chaitra. The State Government established Dr. Rajkumar Award in 1993–94 to be given for lifetime achievement towards contributions to Kannada cinema.

Dr. Rajkumar's 1972 film Bangaarada Manushya was the longest running South Indian film at the time of its release."Bangarada Manushya 1972". The Hindu. 23 August 2008. Retrieved The film elevated him from being just another very popular actor to nearly demigod status among the masses. His 1986 film Anuraga Aralithu was the first Indian film to be remade in seven other languages. His 1973 film Gandhada Gudi was reported to be the first Indian film to be made on the concept of protection of forest and wildlife conservation with a focus on the need to preserve the flora and fauna at a time when the CITES treaty was signed with an aim to reduce the economic incentive to poach endangered species. The British daily newspaper The Guardian praised him for his subtle acting and described him as a humble, modest being who was a symbol of Kannada consciousness. ABC News acknowledged him as one of the greatest actors of his time and called him The Gentle Giant of Karnataka. In 2016, the Maharashtra State Government had prescribed the biography of the actor for its class VIII students detailing his achievements and contributions to the Kannada culture under the title Natasarvabhouma. In 1989, the critical failure of Parashuram led him to take a hiatus from acting. However, he returned to acting three years later, in 1992 with Jeevana Chaitra, which was a blockbuster running for more than a year in theatres. His final film was 2000's Shabdavedhi."ರಾಜ್‌ ಹಬ್ಬ: ವರನಟನ ಕಾದಂಬರಿ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳ ಕನ್ನಡಿ"Rajadhyaksha, Ashish; Willemen, Paul (1998) . Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema (PDF). British Film Institute and Oxford University Press. . He had a minimum of ten releases in each of the years from 1963 to 1971. He held the record for highest releases as a lead in a single year (16 in 1968) in Kannada movies for 24 years until it was broken by Malashri in 1992 with 19 releases. His 39 movies have been remade 63 times in 9 languages by 34 actors making him the first actor whose movies were remade more than fifty times and the first actor whose movies were remade in nine languages. 90% of his movies are considered to be successful.

Filmography Year Film Role Notes 1942 Bhakta Prahlada school-going child Appearance as child artist 1952 Sri Srinivasa Kalyana Agastya Maharshi Cameo 1954 Bedara Kannappa Kannappa/Dinna/Manimantha Debut as a lead actor Kalahasti Mahatyam Thinnayya/Kannappa Telugu film 1955 Sodari Kailasanatha 1956 Bhakta Vijaya Santhoba Pavar Hari Bhakta Hari/Pundarika(Pundaleeka) Ohileshwara Ohila 1957 Sati Nalaayini Kaushikha Rayara Sose Dr. Govind Rao 1958 Bhookailasa Ravana Shree Krishna Gaarudi Arjuna Anna Thangi Mallanna 1959 Jagajyothi Basveshwara King Bijjala Dharma Vijaya Saradara Vijaya Mahishasura Mardini Mahishasura Abba Aa Hudugi Suresh Extended Cameo 1960 Ranadheera Kanteerava Kanthirava Narasaraja I Rani Honnamma Veeranayaka Aasha Sundari Gunasheela Dashavathara Jaya/ Hiranyakashipu/ Ravana/ Shishupala Bhakta Kanakadasa Kanaka Dasa/Thimmanayaka 1961 Sri Shaila Mahathme Chandragupta Kittur Chennamma Raja Mallasaraja Kantheredu Nodu Gopi Kaiwara Mahathme Narayanappa Bhakta Cheta Cheta Nagarjuna Nagarjuna 1962 Gaali Gopura Krishna Bhoodaana Dasanna Swarna Gowri Kalinga/Chandrashekhara Devasundari Gandharva Shankhapala Karuneye Kutumbada Kannu Kumar Mahathma Kabir Kabir Das Vidhivilasa Madhava Simha Thejaswini Shivappa Nayaka 1963 Valmiki Raksha/ Valmiki Saaku Magalu Raghuram Nanda Deepa Shankar Kanyarathna Raju Gowri Ramaiah Jeevana Tharanga Kumar Malli Maduve Ananda/Paramananda Kulavadhu Suryanarayana "Soori" Kalitharu HenneChandrayya Sathi Shakthi Virupaksha/Rakthaksha Veerakesari Narasimhanayaka Mana Mecchida Madadi Srinath Chandra Kumara Prachanda Santha Thukaram Tukaram Sri Ramanjaneya Yuddha Rama 1964 Navakoti Narayana Purandara Dasa/Srinivasanayaka Chandavalliya Thota Hanumanna Shivarathri Mahathme Vijaya Annapoorna Krishna Tumbida Koda Ramachandra Shivagange Mahathme Ashoka Muriyada Mane Chennegowda Prathigne Dr. Shankar Naandi Murthy 1965 Naga Pooja Nagakumara Chandrahasa Chandrahasa Sarvagna Murthy Sarvajna Vaatsalya Rajashekhar "Raju" Satya Harishchandra Veeradasu/Harishchandra Mahasathi Anasuya Narada Ide Mahasudina Dr. Anand Bettada Huli Raju Sati Savithri Satyavan Maduve Madi Nodu Vasu Pathivratha Gopal 1966 Mantralaya Mahatme Venkatanatha Bhatta/Raghvendra Swamy Katari Veera Vijaya Bala Nagamma Anandavardhana Thoogudeepa Ramachandra Premamayi Madhava "Maadhu" Kilaadi Ranga Sanjaya/Ranga Madhumalathi Trivikramasena Emme Thammanna Murali/Thammanna Mohini Bhasmasura Bhasmasura Sri Kannika Parameshwari Kathe Vishnuvardhana Sandhya Raga Lakshmana 1967 Anuradha Himself Cameo Parvathi Kalyana Shiva Sathi SukanyaChyavana Maharshi Gange Gowri Shiva Rajashekara Shekharavarma Lagna Pathrike Raghuram Rajadurgada Rahasya Ramanna Nayaka/Somanna Nayaka Devara Gedda Manava Vijaya Beedi Basavanna Gopal Rao Manassiddare Maarga Ramachandra "Ramu" Rao Bangarada Hoovu Anand Chakra Theertha Srinivasa Immadi Pulakeshi Pulakeshin II 1968 Jedara Bale Prakash (CID 999) Gandhinagara Shekhar/Mahadevayya Mahasathi Arundathi Vasishtha Manassakshi Somanna Sarvamangala Nataraja Bhagya Devathe Chaduranga Bangalore Mail Shyamsundar Hannele Chiguridaga Prasad Bhagyada Bagilu Raju Nata Sarvabhouma Himself Documentary Rowdi Ranganna Ranga Dhoomaketu Kumar Amma Sridhar Simhaswapna Manohara Goa Dalli CID 999 Prakash (CID 999) Mannina Maga Raju 1969 Margadarshi Srikaanth Gandondu Hennaru Anand Rao Mallammana Pavada Chandrakantha Choori Chikkanna Chikkanna/Bhaskar Punarjanma Chenna Bhale Raja Shivaraj/Raju Uyyale Krishnegowda Chikkamma Sundar Mayor Muthanna Mutthanna Operation Jackpot Nalli C.I.D 999 Prakash (CID 999) 1970 Sri Krishnadevaraya Krishnadevaraya Karulina Kare Parameshi Hasiru Thorana Madhu Bhoopathi Ranga Bhaskar/Bhoopathi Ranga Mr. Rajkumar Raj/Kumar/Farooq Baba Bhale Jodi Ramesh/Suresh C.I.D. Rajanna CID Rajanna Nanna Thamma Prasad Baalu Belagithu Shankar/Paapanna Devara Makkalu Ranga Paropakari Mohan/Ramanna Nadina Bhagya Balu Extended Cameo 1971 Kasturi Nivasa Ravi Varma Baala Bandhana Ranga Kula Gourava Raja Raghunatha Rao/Ravi (Chandrashekharaiah)/ Dr. Anand Namma Samsara Krishna Kasidre Kailasa Gopinath Thayi DevaruKrishna Pratidwani Ashok Sakshatkara Mahesh Nyayave Devaru Raghu Sri Krishna Rukmini Satyabhama Krishna 1972 Janma Rahasya Kumar Sipayi Ramu Ramu/Ram Singh Bangaarada Manushya Rajeeva Hrudaya Sangama Rajanna/Kumar Kranti Veera Chandrakumara/Vijay Bhale Huchcha Gopi Nanda Gokula Anand Jaga Mecchida Maga Aaditya 1973 Devaru Kotta Thangi Raghu Bidugade M. B. Shekhar Swayamvara Nataraj Gandhada Gudi Kumar Doorada Betta Shiva Mooroovare Vajragalu Narada / Krishna 1974 Bangaarada Panjara Beera Eradu Kanasu Ramachandraraya Sampathige Saval Veerabhadra Bhakta Kumbara Gora Kumbhar Sri Srinivasa Kalyana Lord Srinivasa 1975 Daari Tappida Maga Prasad / Prakash (Prashanth) Mayura Mayurasharma Thrimurthy Sridhar / Vijay / Shekhar / Sheshagiri 1976 Premada Kanike Manohar Bahaddur Gandu Panju Raja Nanna Raja Raja Naa Ninna Mareyalare Anand Badavara Bandhu Ranganatha "Ranga" 1977 Babruvahana Babruvahana / Arjuna Bhagyavantharu Kumar Giri Kanye Chenna Sanaadi Appanna Appanna Olavu Geluvu Mohan 1978 Shankar Guru Rajashekhar (Jayraj)/ Shankar/ Gurumurthy Operation Diamond Racket Prakash (CID 999) Thayige Thakka Maga Kumar 1979 Huliya Haalina Mevu Chengumani Nanobba Kalla Gopi/Chandrasekhar 1980 Ravichandra Ravi/Chandra Vasanta Geetha Vasanth 1981 Haavina Hede Mutthanna/Raj Nee Nanna Gellalare Srikanth Keralida Simha Shankar Bhagyavantha Unnamed character Cameo 1982 Hosa Belaku Ravi Haalu Jenu Rangaswamy Chalisuva Modagalu Mohan 1983 Kaviratna Kalidasa Kalidasa/ Dushyanta Kaamana Billu Suryanarayana "Soori" Bhakta Prahlada Hiranyakashipu Eradu Nakshatragalu Vijaya 1984 Samayada Gombe Anil/Gurumurthy Shravana Banthu Raghu/Kumar/Peter Yarivanu Bhaskar Apoorva Sangama Santhosh/Gopi 1985 Ade Kannu Jagannatha Rao/Gopi Jwaalamukhi Jayasimha Dhruva Thare Sagar 1986 Bhagyada Lakshmi Baramma Panduranga Anuraga Aralithu Shankar Guri Kaliprasad 1987 Ondu Muttina Kathe Aithu Shruthi Seridaaga Dr. G. N. Murthy 1988 Devatha Manushya Krishna Murthy Shiva Mecchida Kannappa Shiva Special Appearance 1989 Parashuram Parashuram 1992 Jeevana Chaitra Vishwanathaiah 1993 Aakasmika Narasimha Murthy 1994 Odahuttidavaru Ramanna Gandhada Gudi Part 2 Kumar Special Appearance 2000 Shabdavedhi Sandeep

See also List of songs recorded by Rajkumar Kannada cinema

Notes

References

Further reading Kannada cinema database by University of Pennsylvania