14-07-2025
Legendary South actor B Saroja Devi dies at 87
Legendary multilingual actor B Saroja Devi died at the age of 87 due to age-related ailments. She was reportedly found unconscious at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. She was rushed to the hospital, but doctors confirmed that she had passed away.A towering figure in Indian cinema, Saroja Devi had acted in over 200 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi film industries. She was celebrated as the first Kannada female actor to earn the title Chaturbhasha Taare (Four-language Star).advertisementFondly known as the 'Multilingual Star,' Saroja Devi carved a niche for herself in Indian cinema with a prolific career spanning over 200 films across four major languages, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi.
She made her debut in 1953 with the film Shri Rama Pooja, but rose to fame as a lead actress with Mahakavi Kalidasa. In Kannada, she created history by playing the heroine in the state's first colour film Amarashilpi Jakanachari and won hearts with her iconic portrayal of freedom fighter Kittur Rani Chennamma. Her powerful dialogue 'Kappa kodabekaa kappa...' continues to be a favourite among solo Tamil cinema, Saroja Devi became a household name, especially for her on-screen pairing with M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), acting in 26 films with him. She also starred alongside legendary actors like Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini presence was equally strong in Telugu, where she acted with stalwarts such as A. Nageswara Rao and N.T. Rama Rao. In Hindi films, she shared screen space with legends like Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, and Sunil Dutt.B. Saroja Devi holds the rare honour of being the first Kannada actress to earn the title of a 'Chaturbhasha Taare' (Four-language Star), symbolising her unparalleled contribution to Indian cinema across linguistic and regional boundaries.- Ends