All about the box office legend R Rajkumar, who is celebrating his 88th birthday
In his acting career spanning over five decades, he acted in more than 200 movies.
Celebrating the 88th birth anniversary of Kannada superstar Rajkumar, Google honoured the box office legend's work by giving him his own doodle in India and Pakistan. Rajkumar a cultural icon, a talented and popular actor is worthy of all the veneration. Here are some lesser known facts about him:
1. Rajkumar was the only veteran actor to receive a doctorate in acting from the Mysore University. He is the first actor whose first film itself won the National Award for best movie.
2. He is the only Indian actor to be awarded the Kentucky Colonel, the highest honour bestowed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the United States for his commendable achievements in the world of acting. Other personalities who have been awarded the title include Winston Churchill, the former prime minister of the UK, and Pope John Paul 2
3. His success is a result of sheer hard work and persistence; he is the only actor to have filmed 14 movies in a year. In his entire acting career, which spanned over five decades, Rajkumar acted in more than 200 movies.
4. Rajkumar is also a versatile actor - from the mythological roles to brave heroic acts, he's done it all.
5. Dr. Rajkumar is the only actor to have won national awards for both singing and acting. He won the national award for the best playback singing for a classical song in Raga Thodi.
6. Dr. Rajkumar is the first Kannada actor to win the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, a prestigious award bestowed by the Indian government for achievements in the film industry. He is the only actor in the Indian film industry to receive 9 state awards for acting, 10 Filmfare awards and 2 state awards for singing.
7. Rajkumar is also the only Kannada actor to receive the Padmabhushan award for his achievements in the film industry.