Bengaluru: Community to honour actor by naming circle after him

BENGALURU: He is his neighbourhood’s pride as much as he is the darling of the Kannada masses. And on Tuesday, when actor Shivarajkumar celebrates his diamond jubilee, a gift from his neighbours awaits him.
The residents of Manyata Residency are planning to honour their most famous resident by naming a prominent circle there after him.
Shivarajkumar moved to Manyata Residency in 2007 and lives in a 12,000sqft house.The house is named Muthu, after his father Dr Rajkumar’s original name. A room in Muthu was specially built for Rajkumar, but was never used.
Ajay Gopal, president of Manyata Residency Nivasigala Kshemabhivruddi Sangha (RWA), said: “He is not just a prominent name living in our midst, but also an active citizen who takes a keen interest in the welfare of the neighbourhood. He even took part in a protest against traffic conditions along with other residents. We have unanimously decided to name the circle that leads to his home as Dr Shiva Rajkumar Circle.”
The name has a connection to Dr Rajkumar as well. Sudha Sukumaran, treasurer of the RWA, said: “His name is spelt Shivarajkumar sometimes and he is often referred to as Shivanna. But we chose the more formal two-word ‘Shiva Rajkumar’ for the circle. It is because even Rajkumar spent some time in his son’s residence here and we want to honour that memory as well.”
The neighbours also have a reason for selecting this particular circle to be named after the star. “Whenever the actor is at home, he spends at least 45 minutes cycling and walking near the circle. People come from across Karnataka to meet him. I guess most of them have pictures taken with him around here. During the Covid-19 lockdown, he and his brother Puneeth Rajkumar used to play cricket near the circle,” Gopal said.
The circle is now referred to as Fountain Circle or Stone Circle as it has a beautiful fountain and is made of stone. The residents have made repairs to the fountain to make it functional by Shivarajkumar’s birthday.
The house in Manyata Residency has special significance for the Rajkumar clan. Shivarajkumar has often recalled how his father was proud of the fact that it was the first house anyone in the family got constructed. The family homes in Chennai and in Sadashivanagar, Bengaluru, were purchased in built condition.