Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar was diagnosed with bladder cancer in late 2024 and underwent surgery at the Miami Cancer Institute in December. The diagnosis hit during active production of Ram Charan’s ‘Peddi’.
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Kannada superstar Shiva Rajkumar has spoken publicly about how his bladder cancer diagnosis nearly cost him his role in ‘Peddi’, the Ram Charan-led sports drama. The actor revealed that fear surrounding his diagnosis made him question whether he could continue working at all, let alone take on a major Telugu film while fighting the disease.
Rajkumar was diagnosed with bladder cancer and underwent surgery at Miami Cancer Institute in December 2024.
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In a video shared from the US on New Year’s Day 2025, Rajkumar said that leaving Karnataka was deeply distressing. He acknowledged that fear in such circumstances is natural, but said the support of his fans helped him through it.
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In an interview, he said he was scared when he received the diagnosis. “The fear factor is always there, but the question was, what can be done about it? You have to face it,” he said in Kannada.
Despite the diagnosis, Rajkumar did not step away from the camera. He revealed that while shooting the Kannada film ’45’, he underwent chemotherapy and even filmed the climax fight sequence. As the date to leave for the US for treatment approached, he became increasingly anxious. His wife Geetha and daughter Nivedita stayed by his side throughout.
Before departing for the United States on December 18, Rajkumar spoke to the media briefly. He said he was confident and reassured everyone that all his medical parameters were in good condition. He had undergone two rounds of chemotherapy in India as part of his treatment plan before the surgery.
The surgery was conducted under the supervision of Dr Murugesh Manoharan. In a video statement, the doctor confirmed the operation was successful and that Rajkumar’s vitals remained stable throughout. The cancerous bladder was removed with complete clearance of the disease, following which an artificial bladder was recreated using his own intestine.
Rajkumar subsequently shared a video on Instagram confirming he was cancer-free after the surgery on December 24, 2024. His wife Geetha also made a statement announcing that all his reports had come back negative.
Despite the health crisis happening at a critical point in the production of ‘Peddi’, Rajkumar completed his part in the film. He plays Gournaidu, a commanding character resembling an Akhada master who serves a mentor-like role to Ram Charan’s character in the film.
Rajkumar has described the story of ‘Peddi’ as fantastic and said he genuinely wanted to be part of such a powerful film. He expressed happiness about the role he got to play, saying Gournaidu has a clear purpose and strong motivation and that director Buchi Babu Sana presented the character well.
He also stated that his bond with Ram Charan strengthened through the making of the film and that he is looking forward to working with him again in the future.
Rajkumar has been vocal about Ram Charan’s dedication to the project. He said Ram Charan will win a National Award for ‘Peddi’. He described his physical transformation and performance as brilliant, noting that Charan worked very hard and stayed deeply focused on the role.
According to Rajkumar, Charan spent close to two years completely immersed in the character and delivered a performance with absolute honesty.
‘Peddi’ is a Telugu-language sports action drama written and directed by Buchi Babu Sana. It is produced by Venkata Satish Kilaru under Vriddhi Cinemas and co-produced by Ishan Saksena under IVY Entertainment, presented by Mythri Movie Makers and Sukumar Writings. The film stars Ram Charan as the titular character, alongside Janhvi Kapoor, Shiva Rajkumar, Jagapathi Babu, and Divyenndu. Music is composed by A.R. Rahman. The film carries a reported budget of Rs 300 crore.
Principal photography commenced in Mysuru on November 22, 2024. Filming took place across Hyderabad, Colombo, Kanyakumari, and Pune until November 2025.
Rajkumar has teased that climax of ‘Peddi’ will be deeply surprising and must be experienced in theatre.
The film releases worldwide on June 4, 2026.
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