From 'Om' to 'Tagaru', Shiva Rajkumar has had a stellar body of work to his name
As Shiva Rajkumar forges on with one interesting gig after another, his 35-year-old legacy shines bright behind him. Making his debut in 1986 with 'Anand', Shiva Rajkumar hit the ground running and delivered three back-to-back hits to earn the title of Hattrick Hero and there was no turning back since then. Decade after decade, much like his father Dr. Rajkumar, Shiva Rajkumar delivered superhits that changed the face of the industry. These are films from varied genres and budget brackets but that wasn't ever a criterion for the superstar who made his choices purely based on merit.
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Om (1995)
Although Shiva Rajkumar had found success through some of his earlier efforts like 'Anand' and 'Inspector Vikram', 'Om' made a significant difference to his career at the time of its release. Not only did the film's commercial exploits made him the biggest star of his generation but it also became a cultural phenomenon over time and stands tall today as one of the biggest hits in all of Kannada Cinema's history. Interestingly, the film holds the record for most theatrical re-releases (550 times) as per the Limca book of records.
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Nammoora Mandara Hoove (1996)
While 'Om' dabbled with the underworld milieu, Sunil Kumar Desai's 'Nammoora Mandara Hoove' proved that Shiva Rajkumar was cut out to play all kinds of roles. Along with Prema and Ramesh Aravind, Shiva Rajkumar excelled in the romantic drama and its gigantic success at the box office further enunciated his position as the industry's top draw at the time. The success in the new genre also meant that he would find more such exciting offers and it happened so with films 'Janumada Jodi'.
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A.K. 47 (1999)
Along with Om and 'Nammoora Mandara Hoove', Shiva Rajkumar rounded up the '90s decade with yet another blockbuster, which came in the form of 'A.K.47'. Although the tone of the film has similarities with that of 'Om', Shiva Rajkumar's superb central performance ensured that the film reached its intended peak point and garnered all the accolades it deserved. It is the first film to have supposedly collected 2 crores in the first week of its release and also the maiden Kannada effort to utilize the DTS surround sound system.
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Jogi (2005)
If 'Om' was a watershed moment of the '90s, director Prem's 'Jogi' stood apart as the best gangster film in the subsequent decade. There are striking similarities with 'Om', for sure, especially with respect to the theme and the gangster milieu but Prem manages to weave in a personal story to make it a rather emotional tale. 'Jogi' became one of the biggest films of the decade and went on to be remade in multiple languages.
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Tagaru (2018)
The true nature of any bonafide superstar is to grow with the changing times and Shiva Rajkumar has done just that. Despite being a very popular star, he did not shy away from exploring newer subjects and as a result, working with the newer breed of directors and the 2018 film 'Tagaru' is a prime example in this case. Returning to familiar territories of the underworld and mafia, Shiva Rajkumar and director Soori still managed to breathe freshness into them and produce a legit action-thriller.
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