Bengaluru, 10 December (H.S.) : Kannada film super star Shiva Raj Kumar has been an integral part of Kannada film industry for many decades now.
He made his debut as a lead actor in the year 1986 through the movie Anand. It was a super duper hit and marked the beginning of a new era in Kannada film Industry.
Success of his second movie Ratha saptami and third movie Mana Mechida Hudugi established Shiva Raj Kumar as the hat-trick Hero of the industry.
By the early 1990s, Shiva Raj Kumar had established himself as a successful actor. He was casted in soft romantic roles. His fabulous performance in an emotionally charged character in the movie Modada Mareyalli changed the course of Shiva Raj Kumar's career. He had crossed over from being an actor to that of An Artist.
1995 released Kannada film Om changed the definition of not only Kannada film industry but also that of Indian cinema. The movie was a block buster, shattered all the records and established Shiva Raj Kumar as the new super star of Kannada film Industry.
It gave birth to a new genre of movies in the industry. Om was remade in Telugu, Hindi and other languages.Thirty years since it's release, Om is considered as a classic movie and has over 500 re runs.
It inspired over hundreds of movies to be made over the decades.Shiva Raj Kumar's career was sterotyped as a man who weilded machate for the cause of good in yet another mega successful movie Jogi. His outstanding performance inspired Tamil film super star Rajinikanth to watch the movie along with Dr Rajkumar in a special screening.
So enamoured was Rajinikanth by Jogi, that he acquired the rights of the movie for Tamil version.It is worth noting that in the career of Shiva Raj Kumar, film Chigurida Kanasu a novel based movie(written by Gnananpeetha award winner Dr Shivarama Karanth) stands out as a time less classic.
The movie theme inspired Hindi films Super Star Shah Rukh Khan to act in the movie Swadesh. Chigurida Kanasu critically was acclaimed for it's brilliant making.
Jogaiyya (2011 ) marked the silver jubilee year and 100th movie in Shiva Raj Kumar's career.
By the turn of the second decade of the millennium Shiva Raj Kumar attained the status of a legend in Indian film Industry.
His career took new shape by collaborating with Tamil film industry legend Rajinikanth in Tamil film pan India super hit Jailer( 2023).
Indian film industry leaders like Amitabh Bachchan, Jackie Shroff, Sunil Shetty, Rajinikanth, NT Ramarao Jr have been in awe of the awesome energy that Shiva Raj Kumar brings in to his roles and have paid rich tributes to his longevity in film Industry.
With over 130 movies and four decades in film industry, Shiva Raj Kumar's call sheets are impossible to get. It is worth noting that apart from the commercial perspective of Shiva Raj Kumar's brand name commands, it is the simplicity, dedication, humble nature that he has inherited from his legendary father Dr Rajkumar that makes him what he is today.No wonder, Shiva Raj Kumar has been a very busy Kannada film actor over the decades and continues to be so till the onset of third decade of the millenium. Thus ,Shiva Raj Kumar's tenure as a film fraternity member has been a graceful, grand act of entertainment.
Hindusthan Samachar / Manjunath Chavan
