Unveiling 5 Surprising Facts About Dr. Shiva Rajkumar on His Birthday

Dr. Shiva Rajkumar turned a year older today. Among others, he is doing Ram Charan's Peddi. As the Kannada superstar celebrates his birthday, TFN brings you five less-known facts about him. 1. He was not the first choice for Om : The iconic cult classic Om (1995), which catapulted Shiva Rajkumar to superstardom as a mass hero, initially had Kumar Govind in mind for the lead role. It was only later, as the script developed, that director Upendra saw the necessary intensity in Shiva Rajkumar's eyes and cast him. 2. He had an inferiority complex about his appearance : Despite coming from a legendary film family, Shiva Rajkumar initially had hesitations about entering the film industry as a hero due to an inferiority complex about his appearance. 3. He studied Kuchipudi dance : Before making his debut in Anand (1986), Shiva Rajkumar underwent training in the classical Indian dance form of Kuchipudi under Vempetti Chinni Sathyam in Chennai during his college days. 4. He acted in 16 remakes between 1998-2002 : While known for his versatile roles, there was a period between 1998 and 2002 where Shiva Rajkumar acted in a significant number of remakes, specifically 16 films. 5. His nickname 'Shivanna' became widespread after Thavarige Baa Thangi : While he had fans from his earlier films, the nickname became widely popular and synonymous with him across Karnataka after the release of his 2002 emotional family drama Thavarige Baa Thangi. Also Read : Velpari: Here is what director Shankar has said about his dream project VISA – Vintara Saradaga Teaser: Feel-good romance and comedy in the US