Rajkumar, a one-time child actor who became one of south India’s most beloved movie stars and later was kidnapped by a notorious bandit, died yesterday at age 77.

Rajkumar, often called “Dr. Rajkumar” by his millions of adoring fans, appeared in more than 200 Kannada-language films in five decades.

Movie reviews often told of audiences in cinema halls booing villains who tried to pick fights with him on the big screen. Fans were known to worship his image and pray that his films would be successful at the box office.

In the wake of his death, hundreds of distraught fans rioted in Bangalore when police prevented them from forcing their way into the late actor’s home.

Rajkumar appeared in action films, mythological sagas, and romance movies, most named after the hero with untranslatable titles.

He was in the news again in 2000 when he was kidnapped by Veerappan, a notorious bandit who spent decades eluding police in south Indian forests. Rajkumar was freed by Veerappan after 109 days, but denied reports of a large ransom payment.

He also was a singer whose range extended from dance numbers to classical and devotional songs.

While he largely gave up acting in the mid-1990s, he remained one of the region’s best-loved figures. After his retirement, Rajkumar continued to work behind the scenes as a producer.

Rajkumar’s three sons, Shivraj, Raghavendra, and Puneet, all became successful actors.