The Invictus

Dr. Raj Kumar, the doyen of Kannada cinema, passed away today.
My first idol, the man whose mannerisms every kid in the neighborhood would aspire to copy when we were growing up (early 1980s), is no more today. And i find it very very hard to believe.

When the news first came in this afternoon, i was so engrossed in work that I kinda brushed it off as just another thing. I guess i never accepted that such a thing could happen. But when the full force of this hit me late in the evening, it was quite shattering. Shocking. Saddening. A quiet cry went up.

I was most certainly not one of his most vocal or die-hard fans. Come to think of it, I haven't even watched his last few movies - atleast in the last decade and a half or so. But, how can you completely divorce the memories of a man you grew up watching? Just not possible. The fact that parents would agree to let their young sons and daughters watch movies as long as it was Dr. Raj's movies explains the kind of respect his work commanded. I especially loved his movies in which he portrayed societal issues with great sensitivity. "Sakshatkara", "Kasturi Nivasa", "Gandhi nagara", "Bangarada Manushya", "Gandhada Gudi". Those are the memories that i will carry on with.

The greatness of "Annavru", as he was fondly known, was his humbleness and his genuineness. His essential love for people and that genuine innocence is something that you can only associate with a bygone generation. You would believe him when he said he had a vision of God in his dreams. His humility and good naturedness would make even the most hardened sceptic want to believe him. Such was Dr. Raj's effect on people.

I was fortunate enough to have had a small, but face to face, interaction with the man. And i still remember his one quality that struck me that day - his respect and love for people - young or old. His eyes exuded that strange and peaceful kindness. The kindness that bestowed two others with eye sight when he donated his eyes. Even in death, the man lives on.

The man who strode Kannada cinema for five decades, will live on in the minds and hearts of millions of people. We will all carry different memories of the great man. All of which are tinged with a large amount of fondness for the man.