‘His was a life well lived.’ Very few may be worthy of this eulogy. But, it fits Rajkumar quite nicely. In a condolence meeting organized by the South India Film Chamber of Commerce, several members of the film fraternity paid rich tributes to the doyen of Kannada cinema. Superstar Rajinikanth was the first to take over. He said Rajkumar’s death is an irrepairable loss to the film industry. He also added that Rajkumar won the hearts of the Kanndaigas by refraining from joining politics, in spite of his mass appeal.

Rajkumar was hailed as the ‘MGR of Kannada’. He was known for being a simple man and respected all, irrespective of their social status. Several film personalities from diverse fields, including AVM Saravanan, Muktha Srinivasan, Manorama, Ilayaraja, P.B. Srininivas, offered encomiums to the departed actor. Rajkumar may not be amidst us. But, he has left behind a legacy of films that will stay on forever.