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31 07 25

The Original Pan-Indian Star Saroja Devi 

When actress Saroja Devi breathed her last on July 14 at her Malleswaram home in Bengaluru, the curtain closed on an epochal chapter of Indian cinema. She was 87, succumbing to age‑related ailments. 

Born Radha Devi on Jan 7, 1938, in the then Kingdom of Mysore, Saroja’s rise began at 17 with the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), a performance that earned national attention and set her on an unstoppable trajectory. 

Within three years, she lit up Tamil screens in Nadodi Mannan (1958) opposite M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), her breakthrough as a leading lady in a Tamil blockbuster. Her boundless talent and poise soon earned her titles like ‘Abhinaya Saraswathi’ in Kannada and ‘Kannadathu Paingili’ in Tamil, which was evidence of her chameleonic appeal across South India. 

Over seven decades, she starred in over 200 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, famously appearing in 161 consecutive lead roles between 1955 and 1984. She shared screen space with icons, including the likes of Sivaji Ganesan, N.T. Rama Rao, Rajkumar, and Shammi Kapoor. 

Beyond box‑office acclaim, her awards underscore her impact: Padma Shri in 1969, Padma Bhushan in 1992, Tamil Nadu’s Kalaimamani, an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University, a National Film Awards jury leadership role and vice‑presidency at Kannada Chalanchitra Sangha.

Her personal convictions were no less compelling. Widowed in the 1980s, she chose independence over re-marriage, famously declaring she was confident she “could manage life without a male companion”.On July 14, dignitaries and fans converged at her residence, marking the end of an era. Prime Minister Modi lauded her as an “exemplary icon of Indian cinema and culture,” highlighting her influence beyond South India.

Saroja Devi’s legacy extends far deeper than screen time. She embodied dignity, resilience, and pan‑Indian artistry at a time when regional cinema rarely transcended linguistic borders.

Her life was a testament to adaptability, navigating from black‑and‑white mytho‑dramatic epics to modern character roles, including her final appearance in Natasaarvabhowma in 2019

tabla.com 15 07 2025