Dr. Rajkumar

Acting

Dr. Rajkumar

Born 1929-04-24 · Gajanur, Madras Residency

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. Regarded as one of the greatest and versatile actors in the history of Indian cinema, he is considered a cultural icon and holds a matinée idol status in the Kannada diaspora, 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. He is the only lead actor to win National Award for Playback singing. 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. He was the first actor in India to enact a role which was based on James Bond in a full-fledged manner. The success of his movie Jedara Bale is credited to have widely inspired an Indian bond genre in other Indian film industries. 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.

Acting credits

Akasmika poster
4.0

Murthy saves Indira from Vyasaraya, who plans to sell her, but on the way to her home, Murthy is hit by Vyasaraya's car and Indira gets kidnapped. Murthy tries to do everything he can to save her.

Akasmika

1993

No artwork available
NR

The plot of the movie is based on the popular novel The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain. Puneeth Rajkumar played a double role in the movie and till 2020 remains his only double-role movie in which both the characters appear together on-screen.

Eradu Nakshatragalu

1983

Amma poster
NR

Rani, a widowed woman, is known for her strength, resilience, and unconditional love for her son.

Amma

1968

Sathi Shakthi poster
8.0

Sathi Shakthi is a 1963 Indian Kannada-language film directed and produced by Kanagal Prabhakar Shastry. The film stars Rajkumar, Ramkumar, K. S. Ashwath and B. Raghavendra Rao. The film has musical score by T. G. Lingappa. Puttanna Kanagal assisted his brother during the shoot of this movie. This was the first movie in which Rajkumar played a dual role in full-fledged manner

Sathi Shakthi

1963

Hosa Belaku poster
7.0

Ravi loves Vatsala, his sister's step-daughter. However, his sister wants him to marry her own daughter, Nagaveni, and fixes Vatsala's marriage to another man against her wish.

Hosa Belaku

1982

Bhakta Cheta poster
NR

Chetanna and his family belong to the untouchable class and are shunned by the society. They are going through a very tough financial condition because of which they are even more looked down on by the people. Chetanna's only hope is his God whom he trusts all day long. God puts him through a bad phase in life to test his trust.

Bhakta Cheta

1961

Dashavathara poster
NR

Dashavathara is a 1960 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by P. G. Mohan and produced by B. S. Ranga. The film stars Rajkumar, Udaykumar, Rajashankar and Narasimharaju.

Dashavathara

1960

Vidhi Vilasa poster
NR

The legend of a self fulfilling prophecy

Vidhi Vilasa

1962

Bhoodana poster
NR

The theme of Bhoodana is inspired by Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement and also draws from the novel Chomana Dudi by K. Shivaram Karanth.

Bhoodana

1962

Bhookailasa poster
8.5

Ravana, the king of Lanka gets tricked by various people in the process of attaining ' Athmalinga ' from Shiva.

Bhookailasa

1958

Rani Honnamma poster
NR

Rani Honnamma is a 1960 Indian historical drama film in Kannada language, directed and written by K. R. Seetharama Sastry and produced by Karibasaiah, The film stars Rajkumar and Leelavathi.

Rani Honnamma

1960

Aasha Sundari poster
NR

Asha Sundari is a 1960 Indian Kannada film, directed by Hunsur Krishnamurthy and produced by S Bhavanarayana. The film stars Raj Kumar, Narasihma Raju, Krishna Kumari, Harini, Lakshmidevi and Hemalatha in lead roles. Music of the film was composed by Susarla Dakshinamurthy.

Aasha Sundari

1960

Anuraaga Aralithu poster
NR

Rajkumar has been forced to marry the female owner of the factory where he works. He tolerates her boorish behaviour to keep his aged mother happy but after her death, he decides to teach his wife a lesson.

Anuraaga Aralithu

1986

Sri Shaila Mahathme poster
NR

The movie is about the legend of Mallikarjuna Temple, Srisailam, one of the 12 Jyotirlinga of Lord Shiva.

Sri Shaila Mahathme

1961

Sri Kaalahasthi Mahatyam poster
7.0

Follows the story of Arjuna after he is reborn as Kannappa and attains salvation.

Sri Kaalahasthi Mahatyam

1954

Nagarjuna poster
NR

Nagarjuna is a 1961 Indian Kannada language film, directed by Y. V. Rao and produced by K. N. Mallikarjuna

Nagarjuna

1961

Kaivara Mahathme poster
NR

Kaiwara Mahathme is a hagiographical drama that chronicles the spiritual journey of the revered saint-poet Narayanappa, known as Kaiwara Thathaiyyah.

Kaivara Mahathme

1961

Anna Thangi poster
NR

Two siblings turn inseparable after the death of their parents. Things take a turn after they get married to their respective partners.

Anna Thangi

1958

Bhagyavantha poster
9.0

Krishna, a child, faces various obstacles as he is considered unlucky by his family who avoids him. However, he finds comfort in his paternal uncle, who cares for him.

Bhagyavantha

1981

Haavina Hede poster
10.0

It is a 1981 Indian Kannada-language action film directed by V. Somashekhar and produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar. The film featured Rajkumar and Sulakshana playing pivotal roles. The film was written by M. D. Sundar and had lyrics and dialogues written by Chi. Udaya Shankar.

Haavina Hede

1981

Kantheredu Nodu poster
7.0

Kantheredu Nodu is a 1961 Indian Kannada-language film, directed by T. V. Singh Thakur and produced by A. K. Velan. The film stars Rajkumar, Leelavathi, T. N. Balakrishna and Rajasree. The film has musical score by G. K. Venkatesh. The film was remade in Malayalam in 1965 as Kavyamela and the producer of Kantheredu Nodu, Velan, subsequently remade it in Tamil in 1968 as Devi, starring R. Muthuraman and Devika.

Kantheredu Nodu

1961

Nata Sarvabhouma poster
NR

Nata Sarvabhouma is a 1968 documentary film on Rajkumar directed by Aaruru Pattabhi. It was made coinciding the occasion of the release of his 100th film Bhagyada Bagilu. The documentary introduced Rajkumar's village, home, family members and also contained clippings of some of his films. It also has the footage of his felicitation by Gubbi Veeranna and conferring him the title "Nata Sarvabhouma".

Nata Sarvabhouma

Bangarada Manushya poster
9.4

Rajeeva comes to the village to visit his sister only to find that she's in financial trouble and has lost her husband. He decides to stay and help her out.

Bangarada Manushya

1972

Sanaadi Appanna poster
10.0

Based on a novel of same name by K Puranik, which is loosely based on real life events of Appanna, a rural shehnai artist from Karnataka. Appanna, falls in love with a dancer, Basanti. But when Basanti dies, things changes a lot for Appanna.

Sanaadi Appanna

1977

Behind the camera