Parvathamma Rajkumar, who passed away on May 31, was a motherly figure to Sandalwood. She was a bold and strong woman, and at the same time, a person who remained the pillar of strength till her husband, veteran Kannada actor Rajkumar, breathed his last.
Her entry into Raj's life
By her own admission, Parvathamma never dreamt of foraying into films. Her entry into Rajkumar's life changed his fortunes as he got an opportunity to shift his base from theatres to films. However, the financial condition remained same although the actor had started gaining popularity.
They lived in a joint family and feeding the entire family demanded Rajkumar to work round the clock, which meant he was not able to spend too much time with his loved ones. His ever-loving wife had no choice but to accept the reality and eventually they shifted to Madras, which was the hub of movies those days.
Turning into Production
After years of struggle, Rajkumar wanted to quit films as he was not getting his due credit and in return, people were complaining that his movies did not earn a profit for them, which was not true. The producers were also paying peanuts and exploited Raj's innocence and kindness.
This is when Parvathamma chipped in to boost Rajkumar's confidence. The women, who kept herself away from films till then, encouraged him to produce movies, leading them to launch their home banner Poornima Enterprises.
At a time when women were considered to be fit for household works, Pavathamma turned producer with Trimurthi. Producer Veerasami, the father of Crazy Star Ravichandran, lent his financial help for their first venture.
Pavathamma was a passionate reader and fond of Kannada novels. As a result, many movies made on their banner were screen adaptions of popular literature.
The production house started by the Rajkumar family has so far produced over 75 movies and most of them are critically-acclaimed and commercial hits.
Bhagyavantha, Hosa Belaku, Chalisuva Modagalu, Kavirathna Kalidasa, Shravana Banthu, Apporva Sangama and Devatha Manushya were some of the popular movies made under the banner.
The films predominately featured Rajkumar and their sons. Pavathamma also ventured into distribution business and tasted success. She was credited with introducing many actresses to Kannada films, such as Sudharani, Malashri, Prema, Anu Prabhakar, Rakshita and Ramya.
Pavathamma's family considers her as the person behind Rajkumar's personality and the production house.
Sandalwood Cause
Parvathamma contributed a lot to the Kannada film industry too. She always stood for the causes pertaining to Sandalwood. She was the strongest opposer of dubbing culture in Kannada and raised her voice whenever there was a need.
The Kannada film industry also turned up to her for advice on important issues. With the death, the industry has lost a person, whom they considered as a mother.
