Google doodle honours Kannada superstar Rajkumar on his birth anniversary

Image Courtesy: Google

New Delhi: Google on Monday honoured late Kannada superstar Rajkumar on the occasion of his 88th birth anniversary and paid a tribute to him with a special doodle which features the veteran actor staring at audiences from a movie screen.

According to Google doodle team's post on their blog, "Early drafts of today`s Doodle featured different interpretations of the beloved star`s work. The first illustrates Rajkumar singing and holding the white bird from Kasturi Nivasa, a quintessential Kannada drama and a cornerstone of Rajkumar`s cinematic legacy. Another Doodle draft showcases an array of iconic characters Rajkumar played over a half century of acting. Ultimately, the Doodle team decided to feature Rajkumar`s larger-than-life personality beaming at a crowd of moviegoers from the silver screen where his legacy lives on for generations of Indian audiences."

The doodle will be seen for the entire day today.

Born in 1929 as Ambrish Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Muthuraju, he was renamed Rajkumar for his on screen avatar.

With a career spanning over four decades and 200 films, he made his acting debut with 1954 Kannada film "Bedara Kannappaa".

He dedicated his career to Kannada cinema and was known for starring in lone Telugu film "Sri Kalahastiswara Mahatyam", a remake of his debut film.

Some of his best films include "Ranadheera Kanteerava", "Kaviratna Kalidasa", "Jedara Bale" and "Gowri" among others.

He was also a very popular singer and has reportedly crooned nearly 300 songs.

Some of the films in which he crooned include "Sampathige Saval", "Operation Diamond Racket", "Jeeva Chaitra" and "Om".

A recipient of Padma Bhushan and Dada Saheb Phalke Award, his sons Shivrajkumar and Puneeth Rajkumar are also popular Kannada actors.