Pics: Dorthe C
Collage: RK
Churumuri special: The ultimate fan tribute to a life and a legend
It was around this time on April 12 last year that we lost the legendary actor Rajkumar. And the above pictures stay etched in my mind.
Since a couple of days, tributes have been pouring from all sides to Annavru. But for all his fans, Rajkumar will always stay alive through his films and songs. He was a wonderful human being and a great actor-singer. He acted and sang only to give joy to his fans. His films always depicted human values.
Since last week, I have been listening to Sri KS Narayanacharya’s lectures on Sampoorna Ramayana. Whenever he describes the qualities of Sri Rama, invariably Rajkumar’s picture comes to my mind. Such was his persona.
People have asked me: What has Rajkumar done to the society? I tell: Hasn’t he acted in so many wonderful movies and sung melodious songs? Don’t we see and hear them even today and enjoy? Isn’t it sufficient that he entertains crores of people even after his death?
Some people have written and spoken ill about Annavru in the aftermath of his death. I ask: Why didn’t they write or speak when Rajanna was alive? The only reason I can think of is that they did it to sell a few copies of their newspaper or to get a few audiences to the theatre.
Our elders always tell us: Never speak behind a person’s back. Never speak ill of someone, specially the dead. I totally condemn this act of talking ill of a dead person.
Remember: No person is perfect. I appreciate the fact that Rajkumar entertained his audiences with top class acting and melodious singing. And that is what matters to me.
Also read:
Rambling with Bellur 
April 12, 2007 at 2:04 pm
I always find this as a perennial problem with we Indians. We always try to find out the bad things about our fellow great Indians and criticise them for that.
People used to ask ‘what did he do to our society’ even when he was alive. Not just Dr. Rajkumar, Amitabh bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, recently NRN, no body is spared.
I only want to tell them this, ‘nobody is perfect’, but then why don’t we take pride in people’s 80% greatness and forget about the 20% that may be no so great. Instead we only take pleasure in bringing down people’s greatness. Very bad!
April 12, 2007 at 2:08 pm
Agree with you Bellur
“Our elders always tell us: Never speak behind a person’s
back. Never speak ill of someone, specially the dead. I
totally condemn this act of talking ill of a dead person.”
It is optly said you must not speak at the back of a person
yes it is true rajkumar has agreat fan following and his acting and singing has left a great mark for his memory.
Looking into what he has done to society people look from
angle of after amassing so much of wealth from the people
what is his contribution. I learnt so many things he has done
unanimosuly but of late the entire financial part was taken care
by otheres so he had not much to say.
whateven it be he is a gem he was a gem he will be a gem in the hearts of crores of fans both in india and abroad
April 12, 2007 at 2:19 pm
chaitanya,
very true.
what i commented in anand’s blog, i repeat:
under the microscope of the modern media, unfortunately, i fear no person who might be wise, peace-loving, and earnest in some attempts to vocalize or even mobilize some good and sound ideology, would be able to withstand the public majority’s seeming desire to build a person up to mythic stature, just to then begin a chipping away or even all-out assault to demolish that person through their own weaknesses or otherwise humanity. it is a spectacle-driven world, it seems. and what spectacle is more popular than reducing some great human to his or her own humiliation in public, stripping them to reveal the holes in their innerwear in front of a crowd, as it were?
the question i have is in the “why”? does this happen because there is some desire among us collectively that wishes to destroy this person (or at least “knock them off their high horse”) out of some jealousy? or is it that we secretly hope to one day find someone who does indeed pass all these “tests” and therefore who is truly worthy of our praise and trust and loyalty?
in any case, it does seem that the shrinking of the globe due to mass media and the capabilities thereof has turned us collectively into a very self-involved lot. not unlike some teenage girl pouring over every page of Cosmopolitan magazine, picking out every single “flaw” she sees in the models on the pages therein.
pranesh sir,
howdhu, mutthina raja namma mutthuraja.
April 12, 2007 at 6:59 pm
Yet another eloquent post RK!
I really didn’t know that some crass journalists indulged in attempting to sully the name of the great Dr. Rajkumar after his death. Shame on them! Didn’t they think for a second that casting aspersions on a man of Dr. Raj’s credibility is akin to spitting at the Sun? There are better ways to sell a newspaper or a magazine than to indulge in Yellow journalism.
I always believe that Dr. Raj was never aloof from his fans or admirers. He was always there among them. In fact, if I may go a step further, he never appeared in public with a wig or paint on his face. He wanted people to see the real Raj behind all the glitz and glamour. Now how many South Indian stars can claim to have done that?
Dr. Raj was ever the simpleton, given to a life of Yoga, meditation and focus on his career as an actor. To think that someone would have nasty things to say about this man is ridiculous.
I have one more thing to add in closing… never ever say anything ill about a dead man, for he cannot come back from the grave to defend himself. Which is why Voltaire said: “One owes respect to the living, to the dead one owes only truth.”
April 13, 2007 at 11:20 am
beautiful post RK..thumba chennagide and thumba ethics ide tilkolakke nim post inda… even today all his movies are classics….
April 13, 2007 at 7:10 pm
RK , Good Post .
For the past week ..bloggers are engrossed in NRN controversy .I am not sure how many payed homage to our beloved Annavru .
Please see my comments w.r.t your post on churumuri
April 13, 2007 at 10:31 pm
R.K ..The jana Sagaara that is turning up today to pay Homage to an Individual is itself a testimony of “What has Rajkumar done to Kannada/Karnataka?”
Other wise we wouldnt have found people from all walks of Lives converging in Bangalore a Single day .
Naavu Sathre ondhu kaage nu barolla
April 15, 2007 at 10:24 am
He was remarkable no doubt.
April 16, 2007 at 8:16 am
Dheerendragopal,
yenu gotta viparyasa…. april 12, namma raajakaaraniGULU, assemblyli annavrige shraddhanjali saha arpislilla. ella aadmele eeche bandaga, reporters kelidru ondibru raajakaaraniGULIGE, “annavrige shraddhanjali arpislillavalla” antha. avaga avaru, hasanmukharaagi, hal kirkondu, “marthoythu” andaga pirrege barey haako ashtu kopa banthu kananna.
April 24, 2007 at 9:40 am
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