From Saligrama to Sandalwood
Her prolonged battle with cancer began after the death of her husband, the legendary Dr Rajkumar in 2006.
Bengaluru: Parvathamma Rajkumar, founder of the iconic production house, Sri Vajreshwari Combines and wife of the legendary Dr Rajkumar, succumbed to a cardiac arrest at around 4.40 am after a two-week stay in M.S. Ramaiah Hospital. She is survived by her three sons, Shivarajkumar, Raghavendra and Puneeth and two daughters - Lakshmi and Poornima.
Her prolonged battle with cancer began after the death of her husband, the legendary Dr Rajkumar in 2006. Her involvement with her thriving production house also began to wane as ill-health took its toll, with her sons taking over the mantle at Sri Vajreshwari Combines.
Parvathamma's health did appear to be getting back on track, with doctors hopeful of recovery as her blood pressure and vital organs functioned normally when she was admitted. Her condition deteriorated on Tuesday night, when her BP dropped to alarming levels. She breathed her last early on Wednesday.
A Sandalwood behemoth in her own right, Parvathamma was only 13 years old when she married Mutthuraj (Dr Rajkumar’s real name) in 1953. In the early days of their marriage, she was her husband's anchor during his meteoric rise to demi-God status as Dr Rajkumar as she juggled a household of 12 in Chennai.
When producers began taking undue advantage of Dr Rajkumar, tacitly blaming him for their losses, Parvathamma Rajkumar emerged from behind the scenes. Acting with courage in the face of great risk, Parvathamma Rajkumar joined her husband to launch their own banner, Poornima Enterprises. Their first film, Trimurthy, hit theatres 1974, starring Dr Rajkumar in a 'triple' role. The film changed the course of the film industry and the banner, which went on to become Sri Vajreshwari Combines, produced over 80 films, a rare feat for a woman in the Indian film industry. She proved to naysayers and critics alike that her husband would 'earn in crores' at a time when everybody counted their earnings in lakhs.
The Rajkumar family — Dr Rajkumar and his three sons, Shivarajkumar, Raghavendra and Puneet were usually cast in the lead roles. Parvathamma's singular talent for production, however, arguably lay in her knack for spotting and nurturing young talent. A number of young actors and actresses, as we well as writers, technicians and directors were brought to Sandalwood at her behest. Actresses like Sudha Rani, Malashree, Anu Prabhakar, Rakshitha and Ramya made their forays into Sandalwood through Vajreshwari Combines.
From a teenage bride struggling to keep a teeming household in order to becoming the most powerful woman in Sandalwood, Parvathamma's contributions to the film industry will live on through the actors, directors and technicians whose dreams she helped realise.
Raghavendra Rajkumar: We never thought we will face this. As my father always said that we are all here like guests and one day we have to depart. She was no one when she was born and now she died as a well-known person recognised throughout the globe for her contribution to the South Indian film industry, especially Kannada film industry. It seems like Appaji wanted Amma beside him and so her soul has gone to rest with him. We believe that Amma is happy up there with Appaji."
Parvathamma’s eyes donated
“Few dedicate their lives for the greater good and continue to do so even in their death. Parvathamma Rajkumar lived up to the legacy of her late husband Dr Rajkumar by donating her eyes after her death, much identical to his action and values. The legendary Dr Rajkumar, during the inauguration of our eye bank at Narayana Netralaya had pledged to donate his eyes after his death and walked the talk by actually donating them. We have named our Eye Bank as Dr Rajkumar Eye Bank, in dedication to the values exhibited by him and for having encouraged people to pledge eyes by being an example himself. We are extremely thankful to the late couple for their noble deeds in this regard." - Dr. K. Bhujang Shetty, Chairman & Managing Director, Narayana Netralaya
Saligrama theatres cancel shows as mark of mourning
Villagers in Saligrama, Parvathamma's hometown, held a condolence meeting on Wednesday to mourn her passing. She was born in Saligrama in K.R. Nagar Taluk, on December 6, 1939, to Lakmamma and Appajigowda, who taught music at a local government school. Parvathamma was one of seven children, she had three brothers - Ramegowda, Srinivas and Govindraju and three sisters - Nagamma, Jayamma and Hemavathi. She was married to Dr Rajkumar at a Nanjangud choultry on June 25, 1953.
According to her classmate Rathnamma, from Saligrama, Parvathamma continued her education even after her marriage and passed her Class 10 exams through a government school in Saligrama.
A pall of gloom descended over Shinganalluru in Kollegal taluk, too, the hometowns of Dr Rajkumar's parents as well. Owners of 15 cinema theatres in Chamrajnagar, from where Dr Rajkumar's mother hailed, cancelled shows on Wednesday. Theatres in Mysuru also cancelled shows as a mark of mourning.
A 'novel' approach to films
The real and the 'reel' force behind the late Dr. Rajkumar's magnanimity was arguably his wife, Parvathamma. A close relative of the Rajkumar family, Parvathamma, whose father was a schoolteacher married Muthuraj at the age of 13. Despite the fact that her early marriage spelled the end of her formal education, Parvathamma remained a voracious reader with a great love for Kannada literature. When her husband’s career hit hurdles, the couple launched their own production house, creating films that are considered some of Sandalwood’s timeless classics.
During this time, her love for reading came to the fore as she teamed up with new and talented directors to produce remakes of popular novels. She would begin on a new book whenever she had a moment to spare and time, presumably was hard to come by, what with work to be done and a family to be taken care of.
Films based on novels had caught her attention long before she founded her production house. Jeevana Chaitra, Rathasapthami, Chiguridha Kanasu, Janumadha Jodi and many others found their way into film thanks to her and adaptations soon became her strong point. Films produced under different banners, starring Dr Rajkumar and based on novels such as Bangarada Manushya, Mayura, Sanadi Appanna are widely considered some of the industry’s classics.