Dr. Rajkumar's debut film 'Bedara Kannappa' turns 67 today

It is exactly 67 years ago that one of Kannada Cinema's iconic films, 'Bedara Kannappa', made its way to the cinema halls. A momentous occasion in the history of the KFI, 'Bedara Kannappa' laid the foundation for one of India's foremost and most celebrated actors, Dr. Rajkumar. Through the film, Dr. Raj made his debut in film acting and forged an illustrious career that lasted five special decades.
Directed by H.LN.Simha and written by G.V. Iyer (two of Kannada cinema's founding fathers), 'Bedara Kannappa' is a grand fable about the staunch devotee Kannappa (played by Dr. Raj). The success of the film, including the feat of being the very first Kannada film to win a National Award, is said to have triggered a bigger influx of films in the industry with a wider audience, and more genres, becoming part of the mix. 'Bedara Kannappa' is the first Kannada film to have ran for 365 days in cinema halls.
The film was produced by Gubbi Veeranna, A.V. Meiyappan, and C.R. Basavaraju with R. Sundarsanam scoring the music - the song "Shivappa Kayo Tande" still remains a classic. 'Bedara Kanappa' was shot by cinematographer S. Maruthi Rao and K. Shankar served as its editor. The film's cast also includes Pandari Bai, Kushala Kumari, G.V. Iyer, and many others.