Rajkumar
laid to rest, 5 die in violence
Bangalore:
Veteran Kannada film actor Rajkumar was today laid to
rest with full state honours inside the family owned Kanteevara
Studios while his frenzied fans went on the rampage on the
streets of Bangalore in which five persons died. Swarming
crowds that followed the procession route of the thespian
jostled to pay their respects to their 'Annavaru' (the elder
brother). According to some estimates, three lakh people
followed the cavalcade carrying the body of the their revered
'Nata Saarvabhowma' or the Emperor of Acting. Kept in a
glass-enclosed chamber, the final procession beginning from
the Kanteevara Stadium meandered its way to the studio making
halts on the way that took close to five hours to reach.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy along with several Ministers
and eminent personalities ranging from film, art, and literature
took part in the procession and were present when his body
was finally being laid to rest in peace. The last rites
of Rajkumar were performed as per the customs of the Idiga
community of Hindu from which he belonged to. A two-day
mourning has been declared by the State Government.
Meanwhile, contrast to what the versatile actor was, his
fans ran amok on the city streets pelting stones and attacking
the policemen. The mobs set on fire two public buses earlier
in the day. A private new channel vehicle also came under
the ire of the mob that attacked the camerapersons. The
streets of Bangalore though are calm now, there exists a
palpable silence with undercurrent of anger and tension.
Rajkumar's fans protested against the administration's failure
in properly manage the situation. They were complaining
that the body of their loved actor remained in open for
long hours after he died yesterday following a cardiac arrest.
Police had to resort to baton charge on the unruly fans
surging to have a glimpse of their icon as they attempted
to restore order at the stadium while thousands of fans,
including women and children, stood in long queues to pay
homage. Drivers pasted pictures of the actor to their windows
in the hope of avoiding the mob's attention. Meanwhile,
cable television operators blocked entertainment channels
to mark the day of mourning.
Born in 1929, Rajkumar acted in more than 220 Kannada films
spanning over the four decades of his reel life career.
Dr Rajkumar got his first break as a hero in 'Bedara Kannappa'
in 1954, which turned him into a superstar. Rajkumar was
awarded with Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1995. In 2000, he
was kidnapped by the notorious sandalwood smuggler Veerappan,
who kept him in captivity for 109 days, which had led to
a great crisis for the then Karnataka Government. The icon's
last film was 'Shabdavedi' which when released in February
2000 went on to become a silver jubilee hit. The legendary
actor is survived by his wife Parvathamma Rajkumar along
with three sons and two daughters. With his demise, curtain
falls on a great epic of Kannada film history.
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