India's Top Bandit Kidnaps Top Movie Star

Aug. 1 -- If this were a film script, Indian audiences would dismiss it as implausible.

The country’s most wanted bandit swooped down on a much-loved movie star at his remote farmhouse after dinner on Sunday, taking him and three relatives hostage.

Rajkumar, one of the country’s most respected film stars — a man whose films are so popular, that a mere rumor of his ill-health is enough to spark mass demonstrations in the region — was kidnapped by a notorious bandit sporting a mean handlebar moustache. (See story below.)

A veteran of more than 200 films, Rajkumar, 72, was abducted by Veerappan, the country’s most wanted criminal, from the actor’s farmhouse situated about 140 miles south of Bangalore city. As is common in southern India, both men use only one name.

Rajkumar’s son-in-law and two relatives were also taken away. The news of the audacious kidnapping was greeted with mass protests, including stone-throwing and tire-burnings in Bangalore. The Press Trust of India reported that a 30-year-old man was stabbed to death in the city.

A Cult Figure

Fondly called the “Gentle Giant of Karnataka,” the state of which Bangalore is the capital, wildly popular and charismatic Rajkumar is a recipient of numerous national awards and is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest actors of his time.

His movies are so popular that when a new one is released, fans often organize massive blood donation camps where the donors are honored with a ticket for the movie.

The kidnapping is not the first time that news of Rajkumar has shaken the region. In 1991, when rumors spread that he had fallen ill, it took a special live announcement on television to calm people.

Rajkumar is a star of Kannada films. Kannada is the official language of Karnataka and is spoken by about 60 million people. These films are popular in southern India, unlike the Hindi films produced by the Bombay film industry — or Bollywood, as it’s popularly called — which enjoy nationwide appeal.