Parvathamma is always to be remembered as a true pillar of strength -- as the perfect consort who made her husband and his activities the centre of her world. Her contribution to Rajkumar attaining a legendary status cannot be ignored.
Secondly, she is to be remembered in the way she held the family together. She was a loving daughter, wife, daughter-in-law, mother, aunt, sister, grandmother and a relative who made sure the family bonding only got stronger with every passing day.
Thirdly, she was the backbone of the Kannada film industry as a producer and distributor and the person who groomed many stars including her three sons. She brought in innumerable additions to the industry and always beamed with every new feather the industry earned.
To me, she was the celebrity I looked up to as a child. It was only after getting to know her as my friend Puneeth’s mother that I realised that she was also like Puneeth’s father. She, as a person, was way beyond what she was as a personality.
My close interactions with her over the past two decades while writing the biography showed me how soft she actually was. She was portrayed as a woman who ruled with an iron hand whereas she was very soft in her dealings. She devoted her life to her husband, his work and her family and his industry. She made them her focus and excelled in it.
While writing the biography, she used to call for me and recount details of many small incidents that made the book what it is now. She used to relive the moments. She was immensely proud of all her children and many times, when she spoke about Puneeth, she beamed with pride.
Like me, many who have interacted with her will grieve a lot for her. May her family find the strength to bear the loss.
(The writer is co-author of Dr Rajkumar’s biography ‘The Person behind the Personality’)