Bangalore Saroja Devi (born 7 January 1938) is an Indian actress who has acted in

Tamil Tamil may refer to: People, culture and language * Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia **Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka ** Myanmar or Burmese Tamils, Tamil people of Ind ...

Kannada Kannada () is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly in the state of Karnataka in southwestern India, and spoken by a minority of the population in all neighbouring states. It has 44 million native speakers, and is additionally a ...

, Telugu and

Hindi Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...

films. She acted in around 200 films over seven decades. She is known by the epithets "''Abhinaya Saraswathi''" ( Saraswathi of acting) in

and "''Kannadathu Paingili''" (Kannada's Parrot) in

. She is one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema. She is also known as first female superstar of Kannada cinema. At the age of 17, Saroja Devi got her big break with her movie, the Kannada film '' Mahakavi Kalidasa'' (1955). In Telugu cinema, she made her debut with '' Panduranga Mahatyam'' (1957), and starred in a number of successful films until the late 1970s. The Tamil film '' Nadodi Mannan'' (1958) made her one of the top actresses in Tamil cinema. After her marriage in 1967, she continued to be the second in demand actress in Tamil films till 1974, but she continued to be one of the top actresses in Telugu and Kannada cinema from 1958 until the 1980s, she also starred in Hindi films until the mid-1960s, starting with '' Paigham'' (1959). She is the only Indian actress to play lead heroine in 161 consecutive films in 29 years between 1955 and 1984. Saroja Devi received the Padma Sri, the fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1969 and

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...

, third highest civilian award, in 1992 from the Government of India, honorary doctorate from

Bangalore University Bangalore University (BU) is a public state university in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. The university is a part of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and affiliated by University Gra ...

and

Kalaimamani The Kalaimamani is the highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. These awards are given by the ''Tamil Nadu Iyal Isai Nataka Mandram'' (literature, music and theatre), a unit of the Directorate of Art and Culture, Government ...

award from Tamil Nadu.

Early life

B. Saroja Devi was born in

Bangalore Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

, Mysore State (now

Bengaluru Bengaluru, also known as Bangalore (List of renamed places in India#Karnataka, its official name until 1 November 2014), is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the southern States and union territories of India, Indian state of Kar ...

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

) on 7 January 1938 in a Vokkaliga family. Her father Bhairappa was a police officer in Mysore, and her mother Rudramma was a homemaker. She was their fourth daughter, Bhairappa asked her to learn dancing, and encouraged her to take up acting as a career. A young Saroja Devi was accompanied often by her father to studios and he would patiently tie on her salangais and massage her swollen feet after her dancing stints. Her mother gave her a strict dress code: no swimsuits and no sleeveless blouses, which she followed for the rest of her career. She was first spotted by B.R Krishnamurthy when she was singing at a function at the age of 13, but she declined the film offer.

Career

Rise to stardom

Saroja Devi's debut movie and also her first major success was Honnappa Bhagavatar's Kannada film '' Mahakavi Kalidasa'' (1955), in which she played a supporting role. The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada. Next, she acted in B. R. Panthulu's Tamil film '' Thangamalai Ragasiyam'' (1957), in which she performed a dance sequence. She is one of the very few actresses who starred in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi in the 1950s. Subsequently, she was noted by M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), who cast her as the female lead in '' Nadodi Mannan'' (1958), the movie that made her one of the most popular actresses in

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...

. She was then signed up for the Hindi film '' Paigham'' (1959), in which her co-stars included

Dilip Kumar Dilip Kumar (born Muhammad Yusuf Khan; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021) was an Indian actor and film producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated Hindi cinema from the 1950s throughout t ...

. She went on to work in other leading Hindi actors, including

Rajendra Kumar Rajendra Kumar (born as Rajendra Kumar Tuli; 20 July 1927 – 12 July 1999), was an Indian actor who starred in Bollywood films. Starting his career in 1949, he appeared in more than 80 films in a career spanning over four decades. Kumar was on ...

in '' Sasural'' (1961),

Sunil Dutt Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Raghunath Dutt; 6 June 1929 – 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director, and politician known for his work in Hindi Cinema. He acted in more than 80 films over a career spanning five decades and was t ...

in ''Beti Bete'' (1964) and

Shammi Kapoor Shammi Kapoor (born Shamsher Raj Kapoor; (pronounced Help:IPA/Hindi and Urdu, �ʌmːi kʌpuːɾ 21 October 1931 – 14 August 2011) was an Indian actor known for his work in Hindi cinema. Kapoor is considered one of the greatest and most s ...

in '' Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya'' (1963). She also shot a few scenes with

Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor (; born as Shrishti Nath Kapoor; 14 December 1924 2 June 1988; also known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor) was an Indian actor, film director and producer, who worked in Hindi cinema. He is considered to be one of the greatest and most influen ...

for '' Nazrana'' (1961), but was replaced by Vyjayanthimala after a conflict with the director C. V. Sridhar. Following the success of ''Nadodi Mannan'', she was also cast opposite the leading Tamil actors of that time: with

Gemini Ganesan Ramasamy Ganesan (17 November 1920 – 22 March 2005), better known by his stage name Gemini Ganesan, was an Indian actor who worked mainly in Tamil cinema. He was referred as Kaadhal Mannan (King of Romance) for his romantic roles in films. G ...

in ''

Kalyana Parisu ''Kalyana Parisu'' () is a 1959 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by C. V. Sridhar, Sridhar. The film stars Gemini Ganesan and B. Saroja Devi while K. A. Thangavelu, C. R. Vijayakumari, Vijayakumari ...

'' (1959), with

Sivaji Ganesan Villupuram. Chinnaiya Manrayar Ganesamoorthy (1 October 1928 – 21 July 2001), better known by his stage name Sivaji Ganesan, was an Indian actor and film producer. He was mainly active in Tamil cinema during the latter half of the 20th centur ...

in '' Bhaaga Pirivinai'' (1959) and again with MGR in '' Thirudadhe'' (1961). Her involvement in Tamil films also 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). She came to be known as a "lucky mascot" for MGR films and acted with him in 26 films. Her early successes in Kannada cinema included ''Chintamani'' (1957), '' School Master'' (1958) and '' Jagajyothi Basveshwara'' (1959). Her performance as a patriotic anti-British queen in the Kannada '' Kittooru Rani Chennamma'' (1961) was widely acclaimed. In 1964, she and

Kalyan Kumar Kalyan Kumar (7 June 1928 – 1 August 1999) was an Indian actor, as well as an occasional film director and producer, who worked primarily in Kannada cinema, Kannada and Tamil cinema. Making his acting debut in the mythological drama ''Natashek ...

acted in the first full-fledged Kannada colour movie ''Amarashilpi Jakanachaari''. Saroja Devi also achieved success in Telugu films, starring opposite N. T. Rama Rao in '' Seetarama Kalyanam'' (1961), '' Jagadeka Veeruni Katha'' (1961) and ''Daagudu Moothalu'' (1964). '' Amara Shilpi Jakkanna'' (1964, remake of Kannada film) and '' Rahasyam'', her film ''Pelli Kaanuka'' (1960) with Akkineni Nageswara Rao, were also successful. The first Telugu film featured dubbing; wherein, Krishna Kumari dubbed her voice in '' Panduranga Mahatyam'' (1957). But in the subsequent years, Saroja Devi learnt Telugu language. Her Hindi films included ''Sasural'' (1960), ''Opera House'' (1961), ''Pareeksha'', ''Hong Kong'' (1962) and ''Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya'' (1963), which became successful. In 1962 she was crowned "Chaturbhaasha Taare", because of her popularity in these four languages. The pair of MGR-Saroja Devi gave 26 back-to-back hit films together, which included 1: '' Nadodi Mannan'' (1958), 2: '' Thirudathe'' (1961), 3: '' Thaai Sollai Thattadhe'' (1961), 4: '' Paasam'' (1962), 5: '' Kudumba Thalaivan'' (1962), 6: '' Maadappura'' (1962), 7: '' Thayai Katha Thanayan'' (1963), 8: '' Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum'' (1963), 9: '' Needhikkuppin Paasam'' (1963), 10: '' Dheiva Thaai'' (1964), 11: ''

Padagotti ''Padagotti'' () is a 1964 Indian Tamil language, Tamil-language social problem film directed by T. Prakash Rao and produced by G. N. Velumani. The film stars M. G. Ramachandran and B. Saroja Devi, with M. N. Nambiar, S. V. Ramadas, Nagesh, Man ...

'' (1964), 12: '' Aasai Mugam'' (1965), 13: '' Nadodi'' (1966), 14: '' Thali Bhagyam'' (1966), 15: '' Naan Aanaiyittal'' (1966), 16: '' Petralthan Pillaiya'' (1966) and 17: '' Arasa Kattalai'' (1967). Her best performances opposite MGR were the "rich girl" roles: 18: '' Panathottam'' (1963), 19: '' Periya Idathu Penn'' (1963), 20: '' Panakkara Kudumbam'' (1964), 21: '' En Kadamai'' (1964), 22: '' Thaayin Madiyil'' (1964), 23: '' Enga Veettu Pillai'' (1965), 24: '' Kalangarai Vilakkam'' (1965), 25: '' Anbe Vaa'' (1966) and 26: '' Parakkum Paavai'' (1966). The women adored her dressing sense and her saris and blouses, ornaments, hairstyles were copied by girls and women. In 1958 Saroja Devi was booked by M. G. Ramachandran for his second directorial venture ''Ponniyin Selvan''. One of the first screen adaptations of Kalki Krishnamurthy's '' Ponniyin Selvan'', the film had a huge

ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...

consisting of Vyjayanthimala, Savitri,

, Padmini, M. N. Rajam and

Nagesh Nageshwaran Rao (born Cheyur Krishnarao Nageshwaran; (27 September 1933 – 31 January 2009) was an Indian actor and comedian mostly remembered for his comic roles in Tamil films during the 1960s. Nagesh was born in Dharapuram. He acted in ov ...

. . In the film, she was given the role of Manimekalai princess of Kadamboor and the sister of Kandanmaaran and daughter of Sambuvaraiyar. However, in mid-1958 the film was shelved for unknown reasons. In the 1960s, Saroja Devi became a fashion icon among the South Indian women, who mimicked her

sari A sari (also called sharee, saree or sadi)The name of the garment in various regional languages include: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * is a drape (cloth) and a women's garment in the Indian subcontinent. It consists of an un-sti ...

s, blouses, jewellery, hairstyles and mannerisms. In particular, her saris and jewellery from the Tamil movies '' Enga Veettu Pillai'' (1965) and '' Anbe Vaa'' (1966) were popularized widely in magazines. The pairing of Sivaji Ganesan and Saroja Devi gave 22 back-to-back hit movies: 1: '' Thangamalai Ragasiyam'' (1957), 2: '' Sabaash Meena'' (1958), 3: '' Engal Kudumbam Perisu'' (1958), 4: '' Bhaaga Pirivinai'' (1959), 5: '' School Master (Hindi)'' (1959), 6: '' Irumbu Thirai'' (1960), 7: '' Vidivelli'' (1960), 8: '' Palum Pazhamum'' (1961), 9: '' Paarthaal Pasi Theerum'' (1962), 10: '' Valar Pirai'' (1962), 11: '' Aalayamani'' (1962), 12: '' Kulamagal Radhai'' (1963), 13: '' Iruvar Ullam'' (1963), 14: '' Kalyaniyin Kanavan'' (1963) and 15: '' Puthiya Paravai'' (1964) She also paired with

in 17 movies: 1.''

'' (1959), 2.'' Vaazha Vaitha Deivam'' 1959, 3.'' Ellorum Innaattu Mannar'' (1960), 4.'' Kairasi'' (1960), 5.'' Panithirai'' (1961), 6.'' Aadi Perukku'' (1962), 7. '' Vazhkai Vazhvatharke'' (1964), 8.'' Pasamum Nesamum'' (1964), with guest appearances in Thirumanam (1956), Illarame Nallaram (1958), and

Parthiban Kanavu '' Parthiban Kanavu '' (, , lit. Parthiban's dream) is a Tamil language, Tamil novel written by Kalki Krishnamurthy. Details The story is a sequel to Sivagamiyin Sapatham and a curtain-raiser to Ponniyin Selvan. In 2004, Nirupama Raghavan p ...

(1960).

Post-marriage career

After 1968, Saroja Devi's career in Tamil cinema gradually declined, and she became more active in Kannada movies. With her marriage in 1967 and the rise of younger heroines like

K. R. Vijaya Deivanayaki, better known by her stage name K. R. Vijaya, is an Indian actress who has featured in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu and Kannada films. She started her career in 1963 and has been acting for more than six decades in South Indian cinema. ...

and

Jayalalithaa Jayaram Jayalalithaa (24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016), popularly known as Amma, was an Indian actress, politician, and philanthropist who served as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for more than fourteen years between 1991 and 2016. She ...

producers stopped pairing her opposite MGR. Her last film with MGR was '' Arasa Kattalai'' (1967), which also starred Jayalalithaa. She continued starring in Tamil movies opposite

after her marriage: 16: '' En Thambi'' (1968), 17: Anbalippu (1969), 18: Anjal Petti 520 (1969), 19: Arunodhayam (1971), 20: Thenum Paalum (1971), 21: Paarambariyam (1993) and 22: '' Once More'' (1997). She also continued to work with

in: 9. '' Pen Endral Pen'' (1967), 10.'' Panama Pasama'' (1968), 11.'' Thamarai Nenjam'' (1968), 12.'' Aindhu Laksham'' (1969), 13.''Thanga Malar'' (1969), 14.''Kula Vilakku'' (1969), 15.'' Malathi'' (1970) and 16.''Kann Malar'' (1970), 17. Ponmana Selvan (1989). With Ravichandran she acted in the successful films ''Odum Nadhi'' (1969), ''Snegithi'' (1970), '' Malathi'' (1970), and ''Pathu Matha Bandham'' (1974). With R. Muthuraman, she starred in '' Arunodhayam'' (1971), ''Uyir'' (1971) and ''Pathu Matha Bandham'' (1974), which was her last Tamil film as a lead actor until 1985. She continued to be among the highest-paid actresses in Kannada and Telugu films. She was cast opposite the leading actor

Dr. Rajkumar Singanalluru Puttaswamaiah Muthuraj (24 April 1929 – 12 April 2006), better known by his stage name Dr. Rajkumar, was an Indian actor and singer who worked in Kannada cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest and versatile actors in the his ...

in several Kannada films, including '' Mallammana Pavada'' (1969), ''

Nyayave Devaru ''Nyayave Devaru'' () is a 1971 Indian Kannada-language film directed by Siddalingaiah. It stars Rajkumar and B. Saroja Devi. The supporting cast features K. S. Ashwath, Aarathi, Dwarakish Bungle Shama Rao Dwarakanath (19 August 1942 ...

'' (1971), '' Sri Srinivasa Kalyana'' (1974), '' Babruvahana'' (1977) and '' Bhagyavantharu'' (1977). Her other successful films from this period include ''Thande Makkalu'' (1971), ''Papa Punya'' (1971), ''Gunavanthudu'' (1975), ''Katha Sangama'' (1976), ''Sri Renukadevi Mahathme'' (1977), with Chiranjeevi, then with Vishnuvardhan in ''Shani Prabhava'' (1977) and '' Rudranaga'' (1984). In Telugu cinema, she was cast opposite N. T. Rama Rao in films like ''Bhagyachakram'' (1968), ''Uma Chandi Gowri Sankarula Katha'' (1968), '' Vijayam Manade'' (1970), ''Mayani Mamatha'' (1970), Shakuntala and '' Daana Veera Soora Karna'' (1979). In her long career she chiefly opted for romantic films only in the 1960s and later sentimental and socially relevant films right from the late 1960s to the 1980s. ''Sri Renukadevi Mahathme'', a Kannada film released in 1977 was Saroja Devi's 150th film in her career and by 1984, she had completed 161 films as the main lead heroine, without ever playing supporting roles. Yarivanu, in Kannada, was the 161st film, in which she played the main lead heroine.

After husband's death

Saroja Devi signed up for the Kannada film ''Ladies Hostel'' in 1985, but stopped shooting after her husband fell ill. He subsequently died in 1986, and she did not shoot or even meet non-family people for one year after his demise. She resumed shooting only in 1987. ''Ladies Hostel'' proved a successful film, but Saroja Devi refused to sign up for any more films. She completed the eight films that she had accepted before 1986, and these were released during 1987–1990. These included '' Thaimel Aanai'' (1988) and ''Dharma Devan'' (1989). After completing her pending projects, Saroja Devi took a break of about five years from films. She returned to acting on the insistence by film producers and her fans, but, contrary to her previous record, she no longer accepted romantic roles. She starred opposite Sivaji Ganesan in ''Parambariyam'' (1993) in a lead role as a matron, and then performed a few roles as a supporting actress. In Kannada films, her notable supporting performances included her roles in '' Anuraga Sangama'' (1995) and ''Agni IPS'' (1997). She and Sivaji Ganesan acted in the Tamil film '' Once More'' (1997), which also includes scenes from their 1963 film '' Iruvar Ullam''. Her latest film in Tamil was the film '' Aadhavan'' (2009), in which she played a judge's mother. Twice in 1998 and 2005, Saroja Devi chaired film juries: the 45th National Film Awards and the 53rd National Film Awards jury. She served as the vice-president of Kannada Chalanchitra Sangha, and as a member of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams's local advisory committee. She runs a successful business. She also served as the Chairperson of the Karnataka Film Development Corporation, which had been set up as a private limited company by her and a few other film personalities in 1972. Saroja Devi is now settled in Bangalore, where she is involved in social work. She has organized many donation camps in the name of her husband and her mother. She is also involved with charitable trusts, rehabilitation centers and health programs. Her most recent work is '' Natasaarvabhowma'', which released in 2019.

Personal life

On 1 March 1967, Saroja married Sri Harsha, an engineer. Sri Harsha, an engineer, worked for Bharat Electronics, a Public Sector company. At that time, Saroja was facing a financial crisis and income tax troubles. Her husband helped her overcome these problems, and taught her how to manage her finances. Sri Harsha supported Saroja Devi's acting career after marriage. When Saroja was asked in an interview as to how she did not discontinue acting due to her mother's insistence after 1967, she said: "

once said he has asked Saira Banu to not to stop acting profession. The story was mentioned by

Rajesh Khanna Rajesh Khanna (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. Considered as one of the greatest and most successful actors in the history of Indian cinema, h ...

to my husband Sri Harsha, not to stop me from acting.". Sri Harsha died in 1986 due to various health problems. Saroja Devi's children included her daughter Bhuvaneshwari and two grandchildren Indira and Gautam. Bhuvaneshwari was her niece, and had been adopted by her. Bhuvaneshwari died young, and Saroja Devi sponsors the ''Bhuvaneshwari Award'' for literature in her memory.

Awards and honors

National awards * 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award by the

Government of India The Government of India (ISO 15919, ISO: Bhārata Sarakāra, legally the Union Government or Union of India or the Central Government) is the national authority of the Republic of India, located in South Asia, consisting of States and union t ...

, as a part of the celebrations of India's 60th independence day. * 1992

* 1969

Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...

State awards * 2009 -

Lifetime achievement award by the

Government of Tamil Nadu The Government of Tamil Nadu () is the administrative body responsible for the governance of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Chennai is the capital of the state and houses the state executive, legislature and head of judiciary. Under the Const ...

* 2009 - Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award by the

Government of Karnataka The Government of Karnataka, abbreviated as GoK or GoKA, formerly known as Government of Mysore (1956–1974), is a democratically elected state body with the governor as the ceremonial head to govern the Southwest Indian state of Karnataka ...

* 2009 - NTR National Award from

Government of Andhra Pradesh The Government of Andhra Pradesh, abbreviated as GoAP, is the Administrative division, state government and the administrative body responsible for the governance of the States of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Amaravati is the capital ...

for the second time for the year 2009 * 2001 - NTR National Award from Andhra Pradesh Government for the year 2001 * 1993 - Tamil Nadu Government's MGR Award * 1988 -

Government's Rajyothsava award * 1980 - ''Abhinandana-Kanchana Mala'' award by

State *1969 - Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress for Kula Vilakku * 1965 - Abhinya Saraswathy honor by

Other awards * 2024 - Lifetime Achievement award by Prajavani Cine Sammana * 2009 - Natya Kaladhar Award— Tamil cinema, by Bharat Kalachar Chennai * 2007 - NTR award for remarkable achievement by Karnataka Telugu Academy * 2007-Rotary Sivaji Award by the Charitable Trust and Rotary Club of Chennai * 2006 Honorary Doctorate from

* 2006 Vijay Award for Contribution to Tamil Cinema * 2003 Dinakaran award for All-round Achievement * 1997 Lifetime achievement awards by Cinema Express in Chennai * 1994 Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South

Legacy

In 2010, ''Bharathiya Vidya Bhavan'' instituted "Padma Bhushan B. Saroja Devi National Award", a lifetime achievement award to honour artists in the field of performing arts, annually. The recipients of the award including

K. J. Yesudas Kattassery Joseph Yesudas ( /jeːʃud̪aːs/; born 10 January 1940) is an Indian playback singer and musician who sings Indian classical, devotional and film songs. He is widely considered one of the greatest singers in the history of Indian m ...

Vyjayantimala Vyjayanthimala Bali ( Raman; born 13 August 1933), known mononymously as Vyjayanthimala, is an Indian parliamentarian, dancer and former actress. Regarded as one of Hindi cinema's greatest actresses and dancers, she is the recipient of sever ...

Anjali Devi Anjali Devi (; 24 August 1927 – 13 January 2014) was an Indian actress, model and producer in Telugu and Tamil films. She was well known for her role as the Devi Sita in '' Lava Kusa'' as well as for the title roles in movies like Chenchu ...

, Ambareesh, Jayanthi and others. In the 2021 Hindi-Tamil bilingual film ''

Thalaivii ''Thalaivii'' () is a 2021 Indian biographical drama film based on the life of Indian actress-politician J. Jayalalithaa. The film stars Kangana Ranaut as Jayalalithaa, Arvind Swamy as M. G. Ramachandran, Nassar as M. Karunanidhi, Raj A ...

'', actress Regina Cassandra portrayed B. Saroja Devi.

Filmography

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Devi, B. Saroja Indian film actresses Actresses in Kannada cinema Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in arts Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts Actresses from Bengaluru 1938 births Living people Actresses in Hindi cinema Kannada actresses Actresses in Telugu cinema Actresses in Tamil cinema Recipients of the Kalaimamani Award 20th-century Indian actresses 21st-century Indian actresses