BENGALURU: Veteran actor B Saroja Devi, fondly known as Abhinaya Saraswati, passed away on July 14 at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. She was 87 and had been suffering from age-related ailments. The iconic actor breathed her last around 9 am. The Indian film industry has lost one of its finest legends.
Born on January 7, 1938, in Bengaluru, Saroja Devi was encouraged by her parents to learn dance, which led her to the silver screen.
She debuted in 1955 with Mahakavi Kalidasa. With a career that spanned over seven decades and more than 200 films, Saroja Devi ruled hearts across languages, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. She was honoured with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for her immense contribution to Indian cinema.
In Kannada, she starred opposite Dr Rajkumar and Kalyan Kumar in landmark films like Amarashilpi Jakanachari, Bhagyavantharu, Babruvahana, and Katha Sangama.
Her Tamil hits include the legendary Pattali Makkal, Padikkadha Medhai, and Kalyana Parisu, where she acted alongside stalwarts like MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, becoming one of Tamil cinema's most loved heroines of her era.
In Telugu, she shone in devotional and mythological roles with films like Panduranga Mahatyam and Daksha Yagnam. She was equally successful in Hindi cinema, with notable roles in Asha, Gharana, and Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna, sharing screen space with stars like Rajendra Kumar and Shammi Kapoor.
In 2008, Saroja Devi won the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to her by the Government of India. She is also a recipient of the Padma Bhushan (1992) and Padma Shri (1969). Some of the state awards she had won include the Kalaimamani Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of Karnataka, and the NTR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh for the second time in 2009.