Bengaluru | Veteran South Indian actor B Saroja Devi, the 'Kannada Parrot' who went onto enrapture Tamil cinema and became 'lucky mascot' for many of her heroes, died here on Monday.
She was 87 years old.
She died due to age-related ailments at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru.
According to film industry sources, she was found unconscious at her residence and was rushed to a hospital nearby, where she was declared brought dead.
The doe eyed beauty, who made her debut when she was 17-years-old in a Kannada film, ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa' (1955), went on to become a legend in not just Kannada, but also Tamil, Telugu and Hindi. She has acted in about 200 films.
However, it was in Tamil cinema that she shone the brightest, particularly alongside M G Ramachandran (MGR), the iconic Tamil superstar and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, who considered her his ‘lucky mascot’. They acted in 48 films together and their very first film -- Nadodi Mannan’ (1958) -- catapulted Saroja Devi to superstardom overnight.
She would eventually be feted as ‘Kannadathu Paingli’ (Kannada’s parrot) in the Tamil film industry.
Her crackling chemistry with her heroes made her a favourite choice of reigning superstars of the time -- from MGR, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, and Dr Rajkumar to N T Rama Rao (NTR).
Just as she made her debut as a dancer in Tamil, in B R Panthulu’s ‘Thangamalai Ragasiyam’ (1957), in Hindi too, she was happy to tackle a side role in her debut film.
Nevertheless, her enduring screen presence remained undimmed even alongside stars like Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala, who played the lead in her debut Hindi film ‘Paigham’ (1959).
She went on to act in films like ‘Sasural’ (1961) with Rajendra Kumar, Beti Bete (1964) with Sunil Dutt and ‘Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kiya’ (1963) with Shammi Kapoor.
Saroja Devi also achieved success in Telugu films, following her debut in 1957 in ‘Panduranga Mahatyam', in which she starred alongside NTR and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Eventually, NTR would cast her as the female lead in his directorial debut film, ‘Seetarama Kalyanam’ (1961).
In her mother tongue Kannada, her portrayal of ‘Kittooru Rani Chennamma' (1961) was widely acclaimed. She also starred in the first Kannada film shot entirely in colour, ‘Amarashilpi Jakanachaari’, a 1964 biographical film of a legendary 12th Indian sculptor.
Recognising her contribution to Indian cinema, the central government has not only acknowledged her with Padma Shri (1969) and Padma Bhushan (1992), but also a Lifetime Achievement Award during India's 60th Independence Day celebrations in 2008.
She also won many state awards, including the prestigious Kalaimamani Lifetime Achievement award by the Tamil Nadu government in 2009.
Following her death, who’s who of the film industry and political world took to social media to convey their condolence.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter) Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi calling her an exemplary icon of Indian cinema and culture, said, “Her diverse performances left an indelible mark across generations.”
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the departure of the actor, who was featured in about 200 Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada language films, is a great loss to the Indian cinema.
Calling her Abhinaya Saraswati, he posted on his official X account: “When we think of Saroja Devi, her soulful performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, Anna Thangi come to mind.”
Superstars Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Khushbu Sundar and others on Monday mourned the death of cinema legend B Saroja Devi and remembered her as a great artist who lived beyond the boundaries of "language and region".
Haasan wrote a lengthy note on X, recalling his days with the late actor, saying she was like "another mother" to him. “… the moments of the shooting of my second film ‘Parthal Pasi Theerum’ to countless unforgettable memories that ripple through my heart,” wrote Haasan.
Actor Khushbu, who had a temple built after her in Tamil Nadu, called Saroja Devi a GOAT -- the greatest of all time.
“My trip to Bengaluru was incomplete without meeting her. And whenever in Chennai, she would call. Will miss her immensely. Rest in peace Amma,” wrote Khushbu on her official X account.
Kannada actor Kichcha Sudeep posted on his X handle that Saroja Devi became the character itself and left behind a lasting legacy.
“Like a Parijata flower, she has lived a full life with her fragrance and has now departed from us. Humble salutations to the Goddess of Art," he wrote.
