Google Doodle marks the 88th birthday of late Kannada actor Rajkumar on Monday. Born on 24 April, 1929, as Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju in Gajanur, he was also lovingly called Appaji, among several other nicknames. The Kannada icon used the screen name Rajkumar.
The Google Doodle on Rajkumar is lively presenting a movie theatre with a mug shot of Rajkumar’s caricature on the big screen. The projection is cheery and one can see a houseful theatre with an outline of people sitting to watch his film.
Rajkumar was a theatre artiste since the very tender age of eight. He came into films in 1954 with the company Bedara Kannappa and went on to feature in more than 200 films. His last film is Shabdavedhi in 2000.
The veteran actor received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995 for lifetime achievement. He was also honoured with three National Film Awards, including one for Best Playback Singer for song Naadamaya.
In 1983, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan. Rajkumar was a recipient of 11 Karnataka State Film Awards, 10 South Filmfare Awards, and also the NTR National Award. He bagged an honorary doctorate from the University of Mysore too.
Rajkumar died on 12 April, 2006, in Bangalore. A large number of fans were out on the streets, crying and grieving for their adored superstar. Happy birthday, Rajkumar!
