'Appaji was like that': Sudharani shares a touching anecdote about Dr. Rajkumar

synopsis

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Dr. Rajkumar was not just a great actor; his personality and conduct were also unique and exemplary. There are many examples of this. While portraying diverse roles on screen, Dr. Rajkumar led a simple and humane life off-screen. Many senior actors and actresses often share anecdotes about their close relationship with Dr. Rajkumar and his remarkable personality traits. Even those who couldn't meet him personally revere him based on the stories they've heard.

Actress Sudharani is well known. She entered the film industry as a leading lady through Dr. Rajkumar's Vajreshwari banner. She debuted in the Kannada film industry with 'Anand', starring Shivarajkumar and produced by Parvathamma Rajkumar. Before that, she had acted as a child artist in several films. Sudharani maintains a good relationship with Dr. Rajkumar's family.

Sudharani acted alongside Dr. Rajkumar in the film Devatha Manushya. While Sudharani excelled in the role of the daughter, Dr. Rajkumar delivered a touching performance as the father. Interestingly, there was an occasion when Dr. Rajkumar refused to let Sudharani touch his feet. She would usually touch his feet whenever she saw him, but one day, he wouldn't allow it.

Dr. Rajkumar considered Sudharani his daughter, and their families were close. So why wouldn't he let her touch his feet? Don’t overthink it; here’s what happened.

Dr. Rajkumar had visited the Kanteerava Studio for some work. The shooting for Shabarimale Swami Ayyappa was in progress, and they were filming the song Shankara Shashidhara. Sudharani was dressed as Parvati, and actor Shreedhar was portraying Shiva. Upon seeing Dr. Rajkumar, Sudharani rushed to touch his feet, and Shreedhar followed suit. However, Dr. Rajkumar stopped them.

As they were playing the roles of Shiva and Parvati, Dr. Rajkumar didn’t allow them to touch his feet. Sudharani recounted, “Appaji was like that. I learnt a lot from him. Not just me; many people learnt from him in various ways. There was so much to learn from him.” Many present that day were surprised by Dr. Rajkumar's gesture, and their respect for him grew.