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Saroja Devi was also called the primary feminine famous person of Kannada cinema. She made her mark in Tamil filmdom within the movie Nadodi Mannan with late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.
Saroja Devi made her debut in movies in Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidas in 1955. The movie received the National Film Award for Best Feature movie in Kannada. Her early successes in Kannada cinema included Chintamani (1957), School Master (1958) and Jagajyothi Basveshwara (1959). Her efficiency as a patriotic anti-British queen within the Kannada Kittooru Rani Chennamma (1961) was extensively acclaimed. In 1964, she and Kalyan Kumar acted within the first full-fledged Kannada color film Amarashilpi Jakanachaari.
After her notable efficiency in Nadodi Mannan she was then signed up for the Hindi movie Paigham in 1959, by which she starred with Dilip Kumar. She went on to work in different main Hindi actors, together with Rajendra Kumar in Sasural (1961), Sunil Dutt in Beti Bete (1964) and Shammi Kapoor in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963).
She is among the only a few actresses who starred in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi within the Fifties.
Saroja Devi additionally achieved success in Telugu movies, starring reverse N. T. Rama Rao in Seetarama Kalyanam (1961), Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961) and Daagudu Moothalu (1964). Amara Shilpi Jakkanna (1964). Her movie Pelli Kaanuka (1960) with Akkineni Nageswara Rao, was additionally profitable.
Rajkumar and B. Saroja Devi within the movie Srinivasa Kalyana
B. Saroja Devi within the Telugu and Kannada variations of ‘Amara Shilpi Jakkanna”.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
Sivaji Ganesan and Saroja Devi in ‘Pudiya Paravai’. She had paired with Sivaji Ganesan in 22 movies.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
M.G. Ramachandran and Saroja Devi in ‘Anbe Vaa’. Making a mark with MGR in ‘Nadodi Mannan’, she acted with the late Tamil Nadu Chief Minister in 26 movies.
Rajendra Kumar and Saroja Devi in ‘Sasural’. She signed up for the Hindi movies with Dilip Kumar, Sunil Dutt and in addition with Shammi Kapoor.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
Saroja Devi continued to be among the many highest-paid actresses in Kannada and Telugu movies. She was solid reverse N. T. Rama Rao in movies like Bhagyachakram (1968), Uma Chandi Gowri Sankarula Katha (1968), Vijayam Manade (1970), Mayani Mamatha (1970), Shakuntala and Daana Veera Soora Karna (1979).
Photo: The Hindu
B. Saroja Devi was awarded Padma Sri in 1969 and Padma Bhushan in 1992. She was additionally awarded Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu Government.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
After her marriage in 1967, Saroja Devi’s profession in Tamil cinema steadily declined although she was energetic in Kannada motion pictures. Despite starring reverse with late MGR in 22 movies, her final movie with him was ‘Arasa Kattalai’ in 1967.
Photo: The Hindu Archives
In this 1957 photograph, B. Saroja Devi is seen with S.V. Ranga Rao. She additionally dominated Telugu movie trade performing with N.T. Rama Rao and Akkineni Nageswara Rao.
Photo: Scanned in Chennai R.Ok. Sridhara
Saroja Devi was the one Indian actress to play lead heroine in 161 consecutive movies in 29 years between 1955 and 1984
Photo: The Hindu Archives
In this 1961, B. Saroja Devi is seen with M.R. Radha. within the movie ‘Thai Sollai Thattathe.’ Her involvement in Tamil movies additionally continued with superhits like ‘Palum Pazhamum’ (1961), ‘Vazhkai Vazhvatharke’ (1964), ‘Aalayamani’ (1962), ‘Periya Idathu Penn’ (1963), ‘Puthiya Paravai’ (1964), ‘Panakkara Kudumbam’ (1964), ‘Enga Veetu Pillai’ (1965) and ‘Anbe Vaa’ (1966).
Photo: The Hindu Archives
In the Nineteen Sixties, Saroja Devi grew to become a trend icon among the many South Indian ladies, who mimicked her saris, blouses, jewelry, hairstyles and mannerisms. In explicit, her saris and jewelry from the Tamil motion pictures ‘Enga Veettu Pillai’ (1965) and ‘Anbe Vaa’ (1966) have been popularised extensively in magazines
Photo: FILM NEWS
Sivaji Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi within the Tamil movie ‘Paalum Pazhamum’. Saroja Devi continued starring in Tamil motion pictures reverse Sivaji Ganesan after her marriage: ‘En Thambi’ (1968), ‘Anbalippu’ (1969), ‘Anjal Petti 520’ (1969), ‘Arunodhayam’ (1971), ‘Thenum Paalum’ (1971), ‘Paarambariyam’ (1993) and ‘Once More’ (1997).
Photo: The Hindu Archives
In her lengthy profession, Saroja Devi mainly opted for romantic movies solely within the Nineteen Sixties and later sentimental and socially related movies proper from the late Nineteen Sixties to the Nineteen Eighties.
Photo: The Hindu
Twice in 1998 and 2005, Saroja Devi chaired movie juries — the forty fifth National Film Awards and the 53rd National Film Awards jury. She served because the vice-president of Kannada Chalanchitra Sangha, and as a member of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams’s native advisory committee.
Published – July 14, 2025 12:23 pm IST
