Mrs. Uma Jagannath, from Pheonix, Ariz., e-mailed us NYT obituary that described Dr Raj Kumar as one of south India’s most popular movie stars with a legion of worshipful fans. Reproduced are a few details of his life for the uninformed:
>Born Muthuraju Singanalluru Puttaswamayya, Mr.Rajkumar, also known as Raj Kumar, was the son of an impoverished touring theater actor.
>He was discovered by a movie producer at the age of 8. He dropped out of school to play minor characters.
>He got the lead in the 1954 film "Bedara Kannappa." ; earned fame and wealth, acting in more than 200 films in Kannada.

>He never played a villain, and was the epitome of good character not just in his movies but also in real life.
>He shunned smoking and drinking on screen and off and rigorously practiced yoga, crediting it for his youthful looks.
>Mr. Rajkumar's fan club cut across class lines.
>Political parties avidly courted the hugely popular Mr. Rajkumar, but he vowed never to enter politics. However, in the 1980's he joined a struggle to officially recognize the Kannada language and that increased his immense popularity.