National award for Rajkumar biography

Senior journalist

Doddahulluru Rukkoji

who wrote the two-volume biography '

Dr Rajkumar Samagra Charitre

' (

Dr Rajkumar

,

A Complete Biography

) on the Karnataka icon has bagged the 63rd National Film Award in the Best Book on Cinema category, the award was announced on Monday.

Doddahulluru Rukkoji's work is an encyclopaedic study into the life and career of one of India's greatest screen legends Rajkumar. The 15 year research behind the writing of this double volume makes it a valuable resource for scholars, students and cinephiles of today and tomorrow.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, Rukkoji said, 'My first intention was to do a PhD on Rajkumar and I also worked on that for one year, but after some time I realised that a PhD thesis means it should end in 150 to 200 pages. It was highly impossible to describe icon of

Kannada

cinema Rajkumar in just 200 pages, and so I stopped.' 'I am very happy for this prestigious award because it was unexpected and it was shocking for me. At this time, I should thank my mother and my grandmother who worked hard to give me education.'

Rukkoji has done 15 years of research before he could complete the 2,148 page work. He travelled to Chennai , Mysuru, Nanjangud, Singannallur (Rajkumar's home town), Muttatthi, Bidadi, Dharwad and Hubballi to compile a detailed report on Rajkumar. The book has nearly 9,000 photographs and is priced at Rs 7,500.

Rukkoji has interviewed 142 members including MP Shankar, Varadappa and many others, out of which 30 members are now dead.

Rajkumar Samagra Charitre has two volumes, one is Rajkumar's life and the other his films. The two books weigh 10 kgs and have 8,730 exclusive photos which present details of all the films of Rajkumar. The book 'Dr Rajkumar Samagra Charitre' will be released in Mumbai and Delhi in coming days.