Saroja Devi gets N T Rama Rao National Film Award

Yesteryear actress B Saroja Devi has been chosen for the prestigious N T Rama Rao National Film Award for 2009.

Noted director K Raghavendra Rao has been chosen for the B N Reddy National Film Award while media baron and film producer Ch Ramoji Rao has been chosen for the Nagireddy- Chakrapani National Award instituted by the Andhra Pradesh. Another producer K Raghava has been chosen for the Raghupati Venkaiah Award, the Telugu equivalent of Dada Saheb Phalke Award. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy will present the awards at a function here on December 12.

Born in Karnataka, 72-year-old Saroja Devi has acted in about 170 films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Hindi and won several honours at the state and the national level. She was conferred the Padma Bhushan in 1992.

Good Coincidence in Awards to DR Devi

The yesteryears actress of high caliber Dr B Saroja Devi who was heroine to both N.T.Rama Rao and Rajakumar in many films besides being heroine to M.G.Ramachandran, Shivaji Ganeshan, Gemini Ganeshan, Dilip Kumar, Kalyankumar and others gets a distinction.

Within a few days gap the two states – Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh announced awards for this leading lady Dr B Saroja Devi the Padmabushan award winner. Both the awards instituted in the names of heroes of the actress coming to her made her extremely happy.

The actress of NTR films and Dr Rajakumar films gets the NTR award and Dr Rajakumar award almost at the same time.

After the announcement of Dr Rajakumar ward for her by the 2008-2009 state award committee a few days later this 170 films plus actress in various languages get the NTR the prestigious award from Andhra Pradesh government.

Dr. B Saroja Devi institutes award

Three actors honoured this year

BANGALORE: The Bangalore unit of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan has announced its first ever ‘Padmabhushan Dr. B. Saroja Devi National Award' to veteran south Indian film actors Harini S. Rao, Anjali Devi and Jamuna Ramana Rao.

Director (programmes and projects) of the bhavan, H.N. Suresh, told presspersons here on Thursday that the award is named after Ms. Saroja Devi as she has established an endowment with the bhavan. The annual award is for talented women, including technicians, musicians, dancers, script writers and others, in Indian cinema. The bhavan selected three persons for the award this year and only one will be selected for the annual award in future, he added.

Dr. Saroja Devi awards for veteran awards

BANGALORE: The first ‘Padma Bhushan Dr. B. Saroja Devi National Awards' were given away at a star-studded event at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan here on Sunday. Veteran actors Anjali Devi, Jamuna Ramana Rao and Harini S. Rao were felicitated by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa with a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation among other things. Admitting that he was an admirer of actors of yesteryear, Mr. Yeddyurappa praised Ms. Saroja for doing what the Government should have done. “They are rare actors and it is time we gave them something,” he said.