Fervour and fanfare mark Dr Raj's birth anniversary

It was of the fans, for the fans and, more importantly, by the fans. The 80th birth anniversary of thespian Dr Rajkumar was celebrated amid fervour and fanfare at Kanteerava Studios today.
Fans of 'Annavaru' (as he is fondly called by them) in association with the Dr Rajkumar Foundation, which was formed by the government three years ago, celebrated the immortal star's birth anniversary by distributing sweets and organising various special programmes including blood donation camp. Puneet Rajkumar and Raghavendra Rajkumar too donated blood on the occasion.
However, the arrangements went haywire for sometime in the afternoon as the crowd increased. The police had to resort to mild lathi charge to control the crowd.
Politicians, film actors and litterateurs paid homage to the quintessential Kannada icon, who, in his illustrious career spanning five decades, not only performed a wide range of roles but also became synonymous with Kannada.

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