BENGALURU: The 19th death anniversary of legendary Sandalwood actor Dr Rajkumar was observed by his family members on Saturday. They offered special prayers at his memorial at Kanteerava Studios. Fans gathered from across Karnataka to pay their respects.
Raghavendra Rajkumar, Ashwini and Puneeth’s daughter, along with Vinay Rajkumar, Nagrathna, a special child and fan of Dr Rajkumar, participated in the puja.
The family offered first prayers at Puneeth Rajkumar and Parvathamma Rajkumar’s memorials before proceeding to Dr Rajkumar’s memorial. Various traditional dishes were offered during the prayer.
After paying respect and performing puja, Raghavendra Rajkumar said, “I don’t know how 19 years have passed so fast. Fans love Appaji more than their lives, and we took can’t think of life without him. Memories of the the times spent with Appaji keep flashing. I keep remembering those days every time. There is puja at home, and I’ve prayed for good rains and yields. Appaji’s memories will always be alive.”
Sandalwood actor Shivarajkumar said, “Once you get a tattoo, it’s permanent. Just like that, the fans’ respect for Appaji will never fade. His artistic and social service has kept his fan base strong even after all these years”.
Recounting the achievement of his father, Shivarajkumar said his father participated in the Gokak movement without having any political agenda, advocating for land, water and language rights. “Even children will answer this. Rajkumar is like a lesson; the number of fans will only increase, not decrease”, he said.
“When asked about Dr Rajkumar’s legacy, fans say he’s an inspiration. His fan following won’t decrease; instead, it will continue to grow. The strong bond between Dr Rajkumar and his fans is due to his impactful cinema”, he added.
Regarding his health, Shivarajkumar mentioned that he’s recovering well. Although it typically takes 5-6 months to recover, he’s bouncing back quickly, he noted. He has resumed shooting, including a project with Ram Charan. “131 should start, and another with Pawan Wadeyar”, he said.
