Dr. Rajkumar
Born 1929 (age 76) · Gajanur, Madras Residency
Appears in 149 titles

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.

Filmography

Bangarada Manushya
9.4
Bangarada Manushya
1972
as Rajiv
Abba! Aa Hudugi
5.4
Abba! Aa Hudugi
1959
as Shankar
Babruvahana
7.6
Babruvahana
1977
as Arjuna & Babruvahana (Dual Role)
Mayura
7.9
Mayura
1975
as Mayura
Shabdavedhi
7.4
Shabdavedhi
2000
Eradu Kanasu
8.0
Eradu Kanasu
1974
as Ramu
Sampatthige Savaal
7.8
Sampatthige Savaal
1974
as Veerabhadra
Nee Nanna Gellalare
8.3
Nee Nanna Gellalare
1981
as Srikanth
Daari Thappida Maga
8.7
Daari Thappida Maga
1975
as Prakash/Prashanth & Prasad (Dual Role)
Raja Nanna Raja
9.0
Raja Nanna Raja
1976
as Raja
Operation Diamond Racket
9.0
Operation Diamond Racket
1978
as Prakash
Sakshathkara
8.3
Sakshathkara
1971
as Mahesh
Bedara Kannappa
8.3
Bedara Kannappa
1954
as Dinna/Kannappa
Premada Kanike
8.7
Premada Kanike
1976
as Manohar
Bhaktha Kumbara
9.7
Bhaktha Kumbara
1974
as Gora
Sipayi Ramu
9.3
Sipayi Ramu
1972
as Ramu alias Ram Singh
Jaga Mecchida Maga
9.3
Jaga Mecchida Maga
1972
as Aditya
Ondu Muttina Kathe
7.3
Ondu Muttina Kathe
1987
as Aithu
Shankar Guru
8.7
Shankar Guru
1978
as Rajashekhar/Jairaj, Shankar & Guru (Triple Role)
Mooruvare Vajragalu
8.7
Mooruvare Vajragalu
1973
as Narada & Krishna (Dual Role)