Cabinet decides to confer Karnataka Ratna Award to actors Vishnuvardhan, Saroja Devi posthumously

Bengaluru, Sep 11 (PTI) The Karnataka cabinet on Thursday decided to bestow the Karnataka Ratna award on Kannada film actors Vishnuvardhan and B Saroja Devi posthumously.

A resolution was also passed to send a letter to the Centre that Rashtra Kavi (poet) Kuvempu should be given Bharat Ratna, Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister H K Patil said.

"The cabinet today decided that Karnataka Ratna be conferred on Vishnuvardhan and Saroja Devi," Patil told reporters here.

Born as Sampath Kumar on 18 September 1950, the actor (Vishnuvardhan) had acted in over 220 films.

The actor, who had earned the title of ‘Saahasa Simha’, had also acted in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam and Telugu films. He passed away on December 30, 2009.

Saroja Devi was also a multi-lingual actress who made a mark in all the southern films and left an indelible imprint on the Hindi film industry with her movie ‘Sasural’ with Rajendra Kumar.

She is remembered for her lead role in the Kannada period film ‘Kittur Rani Chennamma’.

Born on January 7, 1938 and died on July 14, 2025, she had acted in over 200 movies.

Vishnuvardhan and Saroja Devi will be the 10th and 11th recipient of this prestigious honour.

Actor and former minister Jayamala, and actors Shruthi and Malavika Avinash had met Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday, requesting him to confer the Karnataka Ratna award on actors Vishnuvardhan and Saroja Devi.

Karnataka Ratna was last awarded to late actor Puneeth Rajkumar posthumously in 2022.

Kanadda thespian Rajkumar was among the first recipients of Karnataka Ratna award in 1992, along with noted poet Kuvempu.

Other recipients of the award are S Nijalingappa (Politics), CNR Rao (Science), Bhimsen Joshi (Music), Shivakumara Swamiji (Social Service), Virendra Heggade (Social Service), and Dr J Javaregowda (Education & Literature).

Minister Patil said the cabinet also decided to hold a special cabinet meeting on September 16 on Upper Bhadra Irrigation Project, which involves acquisition of 75,000 acres of land.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday said that the compensation amount for land acquired under the Upper Krishna Irrigation Project will be finalised at the cabinet meeting to be held on September 11.

However, Patil clarified that there are many technical and legal matters to be resolved, which will require discussions.

"Against this backdrop, today the state cabinet on various points discussed, but we could not complete the discussions. Hence, a special cabinet meeting will be held on September 16," Patil said.

He added that a meeting chaired by CM Siddaramaiah took place in the presence of Shivakumar with the farmers and other stakeholders.

"To complete the project, 75,000 acres will be submerged. If this project has to be completed, we have to take farmers into confidence," he underlined.

Patil said there were no discussions on holding the local body election using ballot papers.

"We took note of the media reports, which said that the matter would be taken up for discussion to bring an amendment to the law, but the matter was not before the cabinet today. The state government would discuss and consider it (later)," the minister added. PTI GMS GMS KH