On his death anniversary today, fans thronged the famous actor’s resting place.
Bangalore, April 12, 2018: Dressed in blinding white with a tricoloured scarf around his neck, BS Puttegowda stood at one side of the aisle staring sadly at the many posters of the iconic Kannada actor, Rajkumar.
“He wasn’t just a man or an actor. He was a god. I come here every year. I plan my visit to this place in such a manner that I get to get stay till April 24, his birthday. I save money for this day. Just to see him,” sighs Puttegowda pointing at the garland bedecked metal bust of Raj Kumar.
Puttegowda is a farmer from Mandya district. And it seems nothing can stop him from completing his yearly pilgrimage to the resting place of his beloved “God.”
Karnataka had mourned this day in April 2006, when the legendary Rajkumar had died of a cardiac arrest.
Loved for the range of roles he had enacted, Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju, whose stage name was Rajkumar, had more than 200 movies to his credit and a number of awards under his belt.
In July 2000, the Dadasaheb Phalke award winner had been kidnapped from his home by the notorious dacoit Veerappan for 109 days and was released in November the same year.
“Appaji had so much love for his fans. He was the humblest human being you could ever meet. He used to tell his fans that “You are God and that are why you love me”, can you believe such a man existed?” asked Kavya who is a regular visitor to the actor’s grave.
“On a normal day we see around 1000 people. But during this time, that is from his death to birth anniversary on April 24, we see a crowd of around 10,000 easily,” informed Raamya, who works in the Kranteeveera Studios adjacent to the burial site.
“Appaji’s wife, Parvathamma Rajkumar who was his backbone, passed away last year. We are now constructing her grave here, just next to him. It will be open to the public after a month,” Raamya added.
Last year Google had dedicated a Google doodle to the thespian on his birth anniversary. The doodle had apparently been inspired by his movie “Kasturi Nivasa.”
