B. Saroja Devi (7 January 1938– 14 July 2025) was an Indian actress who appeared in 200 Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films over seven decades. She was one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema. She is regarded as the first lady superstar of Kannada cinema. Posthumously, Saroja Devi became the first women to be awarded the Karnataka Ratna, state's highest civilian award.
Saroja Devi was fondly called as Kannadathu Painkili (Kannada's parrot) in Tamil cinema and Abhinaya Saraswathi (Goddess of Acting) in Kannada cinema.
Aged 17, Saroja Devi got her first big break with 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 in demand, acting in Tamil films until 1974 and in Telugu and Kannada films until the 1980s. She also starred in Hindi films until the mid-1960s, starting with Paigham (1959).
In 1969, Saroja Devi received the Padma Sri, the fourth-highest civilian honour, and in 1992 the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, from the government of India. She received an honorary doctorate degree from Bangalore University and the Kalaimamani award from the state of Tamil Nadu. She also received the Dr. Rajkumar Award Lifetime Achievement by the Government of Karnataka and the NTR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
In 2025, Government of Karnataka announced to constitute the 'Abhinaya Saraswathi B. Saroja Devi Lifetime Achievement Award' in her honour.
Saroja Devi was born in Bangalore on January 7, 1938, into a Vokkaliga family. The family was native to Dashavara, Channapatna Taluk, Kingdom of Mysore (now Karnataka). Her father, Bhairappa, was a police officer in Mysore. Her mother, Rudramma, was a homemaker. She was the fourth daughter in the family. She studied at St. Teresa's Girls' High School in Chamrajpet, Bangalore.
Bhairappa asked Saroja to learn dancing and had encouraged her to take up acting as a career. Young Saroja Devi was often accompanied 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 of no swimsuits and no sleeveless blouses, which she followed for the rest of her career. She was first spotted at the age of 13 by B.R. Krishnamurthy when she was singing at a function, but she declined his film offer.
Saroja Devi's debut movie and also her first major success was K. R. Seetharama Sastry's Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), in which she played the heroine role 'Vidyadhare'. 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 was 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. She was then signed up for the Hindi film Paigham (1959), in which her co-stars included Dilip Kumar. She went on to work with other leading Hindi actors, including Rajendra Kumar in Sasural (1961), Sunil Dutt in Beti Bete (1964) and Shammi Kapoor in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963). She also shot a few scenes with Raj Kapoor 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 in Kalyana Parisu (1959), with Sivaji Ganesan 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). The women adored her dressing sense and her saris and blouses, ornaments, hairstyles were copied by girls and women. She came to be known as a "lucky mascot" for MGR films and acted with him in 26 films.The pairing of Sivaji Ganesan and Saroja Devi gave around 20 movies. with Gemini Ganesan she acted in 17 movies. The women adored her dressing sense and her saris and blouses, ornaments, hairstyles were copied by girls and women.
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 acted in the first full-fledged Kannada colour movie Amarashilpi Jakanachari (1964).
Saroja Devi also achieved success in Telugu films, starring opposite N. T. Rama Rao in Seetarama Kalyanam (1961), Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961) and Dagudu Moothalu (1964). Amara Shilpi Jakkanna (1964), Sakunthala (1966) and Rahasyam (1967).
In subsequent years, however, Saroja Devi learnt the Telugu language. Her Hindi films included Sasural (1961), Opera House (1961), Hong Kong (1962) and Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963), which became successful. In 1962 she was crowned "Chaturbhaasha Taare", because of her popularity in these four languages.
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 consisting of Vyjayanthimala, Savitri, Gemini Ganesan, Padmini, M. N. Rajam and Nagesh. 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 saris, 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. Her last film with MGR was Arasa Kattalai (1967), which also starred Jayalalithaa.
With her marriage in 1967 and the rise of younger heroines like K. R. Vijaya and Jayalalithaa producers stopped pairing her opposite MGR.
Post-marriage career (1968-1997)
After 1968, Saroja Devi's career in Tamil cinema gradually declined, and she became more active in Kannada movies.