Veteran actor B Saroja Devi, star of 'Puthiya Paravai', 'Babruvahana' and 'Paigham', dies at 83
Known for her work in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu and Hindi films, Devi's demise has left the industry in shock.
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid tribute to the late actress in his post, "The news of the passing of senior Kannada actress B. Saroja Devi has caused deep sorrow. She had acted in approximately 200 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema, earning fame as the goddess of acting. The moment one mentions Saroja Devi, her captivating performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, and Annathangi come to mind," he wrote on X.
à²�ನà³�ನಡದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನà²�ಿ ಬಿ.ಸರà³�à²�ಾದà³�ವಿ à²�ವರ ನಿಧನವಾರà³�ತà³� ನà³�ವà³�à²�à²�à³�ಮಾಡಿದà³�. à²�ನà³�ನಡ à²�ಿತà³�ರರà²�à²�ವà³� ಸà³�ರಿದà²�ತà³� ತಮಿಳà³�, ತà³�ಲà³�à²�à³� ಮತà³�ತà³� ಹಿà²�ದಿಯ ಸà³�ಮಾರà³� 200 à²�ಿತà³�ರà²�ಳಲà³�ಲಿ ನà²�ಿಸಿ, à²�à²à²¿à²¨à²¯ ಸರಸà³�ವತಿ à²�à²�ದà³� à²�à³�ಯಾತರಾà²�ಿದà³�ದರà³�.
ಸರà³�à²�ಾದà³�ವಿ à²�à²�ದಾà²�à³�ಷಣ à²�ಿತà³�ತà³�ರà³� à²�à³�ನà³�ನಮà³�ಮ, ಬಬà³�ರà³�ವಾಹನ, à²�ಣà³�ಣತà²�à²�ಿ ಮà³�à²�ತಾದ à²�ಿತà³�ರà²�ಳಲà³�ಲಿನ à²�ವರ ಮನà³�à²�à³�à²� à²�à²à²¿à²¨à²¯â�¦ pic.twitter.com/ZOVdrXGqlp
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 14, 2025
The Leader of Opposition in Karnataka Assembly, R Ashoka, too remembered Devi's contribution to Indian cinema. "I'm deeply saddened to hear the news of the passing of Mrs. B. Sarojadevi, a veteran actress of the Kannada film industry, famously known as the 'Goddess of Acting'," he wrote in Kannada on X.
"Having acted as the lead actress in over 160 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema, her departure is an irreparable loss not only to Kannada but to the entire Indian film industry. I pray that the Almighty grants eternal peace to her soul and gives strength to her family members and fans to bear the pain of this loss. Om Shanti."
à²�ನà³�ನಡ à²�ಿತà³�ರರà²�à²�ದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನà²�ಿ, â��à²�à²à²¿à²¨à²¯ ಸರಸà³�ವತಿâ�� à²�à²�ದà³� ಹà³�ಸರà³�ವಾಸಿಯಾà²�ಿದà³�ದ ಶà³�ರà³�ಮತಿ ಬಿ.ಸರà³�à²�ಾದà³�ವಿ à²�ವರ ನಿಧನದ ಸà³�ದà³�ದಿ ತಿಳಿದà³� ದà³�à²�à²�ವಾಯಿತà³�.
à²�ನà³�ನಡ, ತಮಿಳà³�, ತà³�ಲà³�à²�à³� ಮತà³�ತà³� ಹಿà²�ದಿ à²�ಿತà³�ರರà²�à²�à²�ಳಲà³�ಲಿ ಸà³�ಮಾರà³� 160à²�à³�à²�à³� à²�ಿತà³�ರà²�ಳಲà³�ಲಿ ನಾಯà²� ನà²�ಿಯಾà²�ಿ à²�à²à²¿à²¨à²¯à²¿à²¸à²¿à²¦à³�ದ à²�ವರ à²�à²�ಲಿà²�à³�ಯಿà²�ದ, à²�ನà³�ನಡ ಮಾತà³�ರವಲà³�ಲದà³� à²�ಡà³� à²à²¾à²°à²¤à³�ಯ à²�ಿತà³�ರರà²�à²�à²�à³�à²�à³�â�¦ pic.twitter.com/AtBSv4wJSL
— R. Ashoka (@RAshokaBJP) July 14, 2025
Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar expressed grief over the passing away of the legendary actor.
à²�à²à²¿à²¨à²¯ ಸರಸà³�ವತಿà²�à³� ರà³�ರà³�ತಿಯ ವಿದಾಯ..
à²�ನà³�ನಡದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನà²�ಿ, à²�à²à²¿à²¨à²¯ ಸರಸà³�ವತಿ à²�à²�ದà³� à²�à³�ಯಾತರಾà²�ಿದà³�ದ ಬಿ. ಸರà³�à²�ಾ ದà³�ವಿ à²�ವರ ನಿಧನದ ಸà³�ದà³�ದಿ ನà³�ವà³� ತà²�ದಿದà³�â��. à²�ನà³�ನಡ ಸà³�ರಿದà²�ತà³� ರà²�à²� â��à²à²¾à²·à³�à²�ಳಲà³�ಲಿ ನà²�ಿಸಿ, 6 ದಶà²�à²�ಳ à²�ಾಲ à²�ಿತà³�ರರà²�à²�à²�à³�à²�à³� ಸà³�ವà³� ಸಲà³�ಲಿಸಿ, ಸà³� à²�ನಿಸಿà²�à³�à²�ಡಿದà³�ದರà³�â��.
��ಲಿದ �ವರ �ತ�ಮ���� ದ�ವರ� �ಿರಶಾ�ತಿಯನ�ನ� ನ�ಡಲಿ. �ರಾರ� pic.twitter.com/ea7LP77N2q
— DK Shivakumar (@DKShivakumar) July 14, 2025
Devi got her big break with her Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955). She made her Telugu film debut with Pandurang Mahathyam (1957) and acted in several successful films until the late 1970s. The Tamil film Nadodi Mannan (1958) established her as one of the top actresses in Tamil cinema. Blockbusters she starred in during this period include Anbe Vaa, Padagotti, Enga Veetu Pillai and Puthiya Paravai.
After her marriage in 1967, she remained the second most sought-after actress in Tamil films until 1974, while she continued to be a top actress in Telugu and Kannada cinema from 1958 to 1980. She also acted in Hindi films, starting with Paigham (1959) until the mid-1960s.
She acted in 161 consecutive films as the female lead between 1955 and 1984.
She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1992. She also received an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University and the Kalaimamani Award of Tamil Nadu. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
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