Eighty-six-year-old Ramalingappa and his wife Kanakamma (76) were part of the festivities at the inauguration of Rajkumar memorial on the Kanteerava Studios premises here on Saturday.
A retired schoolteacher, he had come all the way from Javagal in Hassan district. The couple said Rajkumar made them remember their youth.
“Rajkumar was from my generation. For us, he was no matinee idol but a man among us who portrayed our lives on screen. It was through him that we experienced the magic of cinema. He was more of a friend and a fine representative,” he said. Mr. Ramalingappa even recounted the numerous Rajkumar films that he had watched with his wife in their youth, making her blush.
Many like Mr. Ramalingappa were in the huge gathering at the inaugural. Enthusiastic fans of all demographics, including students in their teens, thronged the venue. The presence of Tamil superstar Rajinikanth and Telugu star Chiranjeevi only added to their enthusiasm.
The police estimated that nearly 7,000 people participated in the event. Most of them had to be content to witness the programme on a faulty LCD screen outside the venue, as they were not allowed to enter until the end of formal inauguration. Rajkumar fans patiently and peacefully stood in long queues to pay their respects at the memorial. People kept pouring in much after the inauguration too. A senior police official said that more than 10,000 people visited the memorial on Saturday.
