Congress President Sonia Gandhi condoled the demise of Kannada icon Rajkumar, describing him as 'one of the titans of Indian cinema and a great artiste.'

In a letter addressed to his wife Parvathamma Rajkumar, Gandhi said his loss would be mourned not just by his fans in Karnataka, but throughout India. She said his iconic status was heightened by the courage and dignity he displayed during his kidnapping by forest brigand Veerappan.

"It was these qualities that perhaps shamed the captor into releasing him unharmed though the episode took a toll on his health," she added, saying that India would always honour the thespian.

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