🧬 Early Life & Background
Nagaraju Shiva Puttaswamy, popularly known as Shiva Rajkumar or fondly Shivanna, was born on 12 July 1962 in Madras (now Chennai), Tamil Nadu, into a prominent film family. He is known as one of the finest and most lovable actors that Kannada cinema has seen. His father, Dr. Rajkumar, was a legendary Kannada actor, and his mother, Parvathamma Rajkumar, was a respected film producer and distributor (Wikipedia).
Shiva’s monumental success is driven by discipline in his life with a backdrop of influence shed by movies and music. His name alone drives his fans crazy as he has garnered both star status and respect across several generations, turning his notable career into a massive net worth.
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Shiva is the eldest of five siblings: younger brothers Raghavendra Rajkumar (actor and producer) and the late Puneeth Rajkumar, and two sisters, Lakshmi and Poornima. Growing up in T. Nagar, Chennai, he studied at New College, earning a B.Sc. (Chemistry) degree from Madras University. He also trained professionally in acting at the Government Film and Television Training Institute, Chennai, and practised Kuchipudi dance under Vempetti Chinni Sathyam during his college days.
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🎬 Acting Journey & Milestones
Shiva began his cinematic journey as a child artist in the 1974 Kannada mythological film Sri Srinivasa Kalyana, where he appeared as Master Puttaswamy. After completing his formal training, he made his debut as a lead actor in the 1986 film Anand, produced by his mother. The film was a commercial success and earned him the Cinema Express Award for Best Actor.
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Following Anand, Shiva delivered a string of hits, including Ratha Sapthami (1986) and Manamecchida Hudugi (1987). In 1995, he starred in the cult film Om, directed by Upendra, which elevated him to superstardom and earned him both the Karnataka State Film Award and Filmfare Award for Best Actor.
Over a career spanning nearly four decades, Shiva has acted in well over 120 Kannada films across diverse genres. Notable titles include:
- Janumada Jodi, Nammoora Mandara Hoove, Jogi, Bhajarangi, Mufti, Tagaru, Ayushman Bhava, Drona, Bhajarangi 2, and The Villain.
He reached his 100th film milestone with Jogayya in 2011, and continued to achieve commercial and critical acclaim throughout the 2010s. He also ventured into Telugu cinema with Gautamiputra Satakarni (2017) and Tamil with Jailor (2023). Upcoming projects in 2025 include Bairagee, Nee Sigoovaregu and Vedha.
Apart from acting, Shiva has lent his voice as a playback singer in numerous films (e.g., Janumada Jodi, Chigurida Kanasu, Galate Aliyandru, Srikanta, Vedha) and has done narration and dubbing work, including for Doddmane Hudga (2016) and James (2022). Recently, in 2024, he provided the voice-over role in the film ARM (Wikipedia).
🏆 Awards & Honors
- Four Karnataka State Film Awards
- Four Filmfare Awards South
- SIIMA Award for Social Responsibility (2012)
- Cinema Express Award for Anand (1986)
- Honorary Doctorate from Vijayanagara Sri Krishnadevaraya University (2014)
- NTR National Award (2011)
- British South India Council of Commerce’s “Kohinoor of South India” (2016)
- In 2022, Bengaluru named a circle near his home as Dr. Shiva Rajkumar Circle to commemorate his 60th birthday.
👨👩👧👧 Personal Life & Family
Shiva Rajkumar married Geetha (also spelled as Geeta) on 19 May 1986. Geetha is the daughter of former Karnataka Chief Minister Sarekoppa Bangarappa. The couple has two daughters:
- Nirupama, who is a doctor
- Niveditha, who works as a film producer and is involved in new-age content like the web series Firefly.
Shiva credits his family—his parents and siblings—for grounding him and shaping his life. His relationship with brother Puneeth was widely admired, especially until Puneeth’s untimely death in 2021.
💰 Net Worth & Income Sources
Estimates of Shiva Rajkumar’s net worth vary among sources:
- Net Worth Gyaan (June 2024) values his net worth around ₹230 crore, roughly USD 27–28 million.
- People Places estimates ₹210 crore (about same).
- Earlier blogs like GMDA (2021) put his net worth at approximately USD 8 million (₹60–70 crore).
His income stems from:
- Film acting (he reportedly charges ₹3–4 crore per film)
- Film production under his banner
- Brand endorsements (e.g., IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore, Nandini milk products)
- Television and digital engagements.
📸 Public Image & Influence
Shiva is active on Instagram, with over 130K followers as of 2024. He continues to engage fans with film updates and personal moments.
He also supports various social causes and is known for philanthropy. Fans and the Kannada film community honour him not just for his cinematic legacy, but for his contributions off-screen as well.
