S. P. Varadappa

S. P. Varadappa
Born	Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Varadaraju 1935 Gajanur, Madras Presidency, British India
Died	8 February 2006 (aged 70–71) Bangalore, India
Nationality	Indian
Other names	Varadappa
Occupation	Film producer, actor
Family	Rajkumar (brother) Sharadamma (sister)

Singanalluru Puttaswamayya Varadaraju (1935 – 8 February 2006), also spelt Singanallor Puttaswamaiah Varadaraj and popularly known as Varadappa or S. P. Varadappa, was a Kannada actor and producer, who produced movies such as Bhootayyana Maga Aiyyu starring Vishnuvardhan and Hemavathi starring Udaykumar.

He was an architect in shaping up Vajreshwari Combines, one of the most successful banners in Kannada film industry, under which Parvathamma Rajkumar produced movies with Rajkumar, Shiv RajKumar, Raghavendra Rajkumar, and Puneeth Rajkumar.

Biography

He was born at Gajanur – situated in the Karnataka–Tamil Nadu border – to Singanalluru Puttaswamayya, a theatre-artist, and Lakshmamma as a second child; Rajkumar, a Kannada film icon, is his elder brother while Sharadamma (Nagamma) is his younger sister.

He began his career as an actor part of Gubbi company (drama troupe) along with his father, elder brother – S.P. Muthuraj – popularly known as Rajkumar – and his younger sister. Later, he acted in couple of movies as a child artist in Makaranda and Krishnaleela. As an adult, he played minor roles in Kannada movies such as Sarvagnamoorthy released in 1965, Satishakti, and Dharma Vijaya released in 1959, in which his brother Rajkumar played a lead role. He produced Bhootayyana Maga Aiyyu and Hemavathi movies along with his friend – Chandulal Jain.

Varadappa[Varadaraj], after the success of Bedara Kannappa – starring Rajkumar – he stood behind his brother and his family when they settled in Chennai – then Madras; He remained a most trusted guide and friend to Rajkumar to the extent of his involvement in selection of stories for home productions – Vajreshwari Combines. It is believed that without the efforts of Varadappa, Kannada filmdom would have missed out a great actor – Rajkumar. It is said that, he was an integral part of Rajkumar and his family, and was responsible for the success of Rajkumar's films along with his sister-in-law Parvathamma Rajkumar.

He died at an age of 71 in Bangalore due to heart ailment on 8 February 2006. An award on his name S.P. Varadaraju Awards has been instituted to honour the theatre personalities annually.

See also

• Rajkumar filmography
• Kannada films of the 1950s

External links

• the efforts of his brother Varadaraju, Kannada filmdom might have missed out on a great actor. It is said that Varadaraju's recent death had created a vacuum in Rajkumar's life. Rajkumar joined his father Singanallur Puttaswamayya and brother Varadappa's (Varadanna as he is called) in performing for a drama troupe.
• DR. RAJKUMAR – Brother : S.P.Varadaraju – Father : Singanallooru Puttaswamayya – Mother : Laxmamma
• Biography of Dr. Rajkumar – Annavaru – Family – Rajkumar had a brother S.P.Varadaraju who worked with him in his production company. He also had a sister by name Sharadamma.