Rajanand (kannada Actor)

Rajanand (kannada Actor) Biography

Rajanand was a famous Kannada actor quite popular in the 1970s. He played supporting roles in famous Kannada films of 1970s such as Eradu Kanasu (1974), Mayura (1975) and Operation Diamond Racket (1978). He has appeared in more than 318 Kannada films as an actor, and has directed 350 theater plays. Thus he is regarded as a veteran in Kannada theater, who has also written thousands of Vachanas, 3000 poems and 9000 Kavanas. He also started the Ranga Vaibhava theatre group in 1965. He joined Kannada cinema in 1967 with the movie, Dhana Pishachi, where his lengthy dialogue taken in one shot is still remembered.

His real name is Venkataraju, and he uses the screen name, Rajanand for movies. He was born on 2nd December 1927 in Haranhalli village of Arsikere, Hassan district, Karnataka during British rule. He joined theatre at the age of just 10, as a child artist and actor, and later went on to become one of the leading playwrights and play directors of Kannada drama. He has been associated with amateur drama groups such as Kalkoti, Samaja Vikasana, Kamala Kala etc, from which he got initial training. He also got opportunity to learn under some of the leading theatre artists then, Soorath Ashwath, Master Hirannaiah, Yoganarasimha and A. S. Seshachar.

He has done professional drama in association with Gubbi Veeranna Drama Company, and Master Hirannaiah's drama company, and directed 350 plays too. While he was associated with Gubbi Veeranna Drama Company, he took the name, Rajanand which he carried throughout his professional life. He mostly played character roles onscreen, and has worked with legends like Rajkumar in many movies. He was quite active in Kannada films in the 1970s and 1980s. He passed away in 2014, following renal failure and acute sugar, aged 77. He was survived by his wife Vimalamma and three children.

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Updated: July 11, 2018