Dubai: Leading south Indian actor Rajkumar who died yesterday was a philanthropist who led a simple life, said Indian expatriates.
"People from every corner of Karnataka has benefited from his charitable work," said C.R. Shetty, president of the Karnataka Sangh in Dubai.
Rajkumar, called 'Big Brother' by his fans, died yesterday in a private hospital in Bangalore. He was 77.
Government of Karnataka planned a state funeral for the actor. Rajkumar acted in more than 200 movies and was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1997.
'Hero of the masses'
"When he came to Dubai some few years back, (he) lived with a ... family instead of living in a luxury hotel," said Shetty.
His kidnapping by bandit Veerappan brought the entire city of Bangalore to a complete standstill by his fans. The actor was held captive for 109 days in dense Mysore forest. Rajkumar was freed in exchange of a ransom.
Abu Dhabi-based Indian businessman B.R. Shetty who is an old friend of Rajkumar and his family said: "The man was very polite. He was the hero of the masses. The amount of goodwill he had among the common people of Karnataka was amazing."