On a recent episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati, Kantara star Rishab Shetty joined Amitabh Bachchan on the hot seat and steered the conversation toward Kannada cinema legend Dr Rajkumar, affectionately called Annavru. Rishab’s question prompted Big B to share a cherished memory of the iconic actor and the deep respect he held for him.
Rajkumar’s divine prayer for Amitabh’s recovery
Recalling the late icon’s humility and warmth, Amitabh shared, “In Karnataka, he is like a god, but when I met him, he was very simple and down-to-earth. He wore simple clothes and lived in a modest home. By looking at him, you couldn’t tell that he was such a big star.”The megastar then recounted a deeply emotional gesture by Dr Rajkumar following his 1982 accident on the sets of Coolie. “The biggest accomplishment for me was… when I met with that accident in Bengaluru. Many people prayed for me, but Rajkumar ji went to his special temple in Karnataka, where the tradition is to wear wet clothes and roll on the ground around the temple as a parikrama. He did that to pray for my life,” Big B revealed.
A bond that lasted till the end
He added with gratitude, “Since then, till the day he died, he and I remained connected. I was also close to his children, who are now stars in their own right. I am ever grateful and obliged to have been blessed by somebody like Rajkumar.”During the filming of Coolie (1983), Amitabh Bachchan suffered a near-fatal abdominal injury while shooting an action scene with co-star Puneet Issar. The mishap left him with severe internal bleeding and in critical condition for weeks, sparking nationwide prayers for his recovery.
