It has been 40 years since actor Shivarajkumar's debut film Anand. Although he had appeared as a child artist before in films, such as 1974’s Sri Srinivasa Kalyana, the 1986 film from director Singeetam Srinivasa Rao marked his first role as a lead actor. Many people from within and beyond the entertainment industry have been congratulating the actor on his 40-year-journey in cinema. Karnataka's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah took to social media and wrote, “Congratulations to renowned actor Shivarajkumar, the Hat-trick Hero, who has successfully completed four decades in the Kannada film industry. During my leisure time, I have watched and enjoyed many of his films.”

The CM then went on to highlight some of the actor's most popular credits and praise his acting prowess. 

“Through a series of hit movies such as Ratha Sapthami, Janumada Jodi, Jodi Hakki, and Tagaru, Shivarajkumar has taken the glory of the Kannada film industry to new heights. When it comes to acting, he is his only competition,” the CM wrote.

He ended his note, saying, “I hope that God bless Shivanna, the beloved of Kannadigas, who is actively involved not only in artistic service but also in social service, with long life and good health.”

Anand earned plenty of critical appreciation for Shivarajkumar, including a Best Actor award from Cinema Express. 

The actor recently came back from surgery for cancer in the USA and has dived right into films again. His upcoming films include, but are not limited to, Peddi with Ram Charan, Uttarakaanda with Diganth and Dhananjaya, Jailer 2 with Rajinikanth, and DAD. While he only had a cameo in 2023’s Jailer, the actor recently confirmed that the upcoming sequel will see him reprise the role with greater prominence this time around.