Rest in peace, amma: stars bid farewell to legendary actor Saroja Devi

Bengaluru, Jul 14 (PTI) As actor Khushbu Sundar puts it, with the passing away of legendary actor B Saroja Devi, an era of golden cinema comes to an end.

The actress known for her doe-eyed beauty and endearing screen presence made her debut when she was only 17 years old, as a co-star of Honnappa Bhagavathar, one of the pioneers of Kannada cinema in 'Mahakavi Kalidasa' (1955).

Bengaluru-born Saroja Devi would eventually be crowned the first female super star of Kannada cinema.

Soon after her death, another film legend from Bengaluru who made it big in Tamil Nadu, Superstar Rajnikanth, took to X to convey his condolences, calling her a GOAT, the greatest actor of all time.

Khushbu, the actor who had a temple built after her in Tamil Nadu, also posted on her X account that #SarojaDevi amma was the greatest of all times.

“No other female actor in the south has ever enjoyed the name and fame as her,” she wrote.

Although Saroja Devi acted in almost all southern language films as well as Bollywood films – she was called ‘Chaturbhaasha Taare’ -- it is in Tamil that she shone the brightest.

As the co-star of M G Ramachandran, the reigning actor of those times -- and former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu -- she was seen in 48 films. The pairing was noted for the electric onscreen chemistry. Some of their films -- like ‘Anbe Vaa’ (1966) -- have gained cult status.

Industry insiders say that she was called a lucky mascot for MGR.

It was not just with MGR, she was also casted often with other reigning superstars of the time, cutting across languages, like Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, Dr Rajkumar and N T Rama Rao (NTR).

But it was a film with MGR, as he is fondly known -- ‘Nadodi Mannan’ (1958), the first film for the duo -- that catapulted Saroja Devi to superstardom.

This was just a year after she made her debut in Tamil with B R Panthulu’s ‘Thangamalai Ragasiyam’ (1957), as a dancer. She would eventually be feted as ‘Kannadathu Paingli’ (Kannada’s parrot) in the Tamil film industry.

A year after ‘Nadodi Mannan’ made her an overnight star in Tamil Nadu, Saroja Devi again signed up for a non-lead role, for her debut Hindi film, showing her prescience in understanding how the industry works.

The film, ‘Paigham’ (1959), starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjayanthimala in the lead roles, was a blockbuster hit and Saroja Devi, despite her "bit role", captured the hearts with her screen presence.

She went on to act in films like ‘Sasural’ (1961) with Rajendra Kumar, Beti Bete (1964) with Sunil Dutt and ‘Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kiya’ (1963) with Shammi Kapoor.

Saroja Devi also achieved success in Telugu films, following her debut in 1957 in ‘Panduranga Mahatyam', in which she starred alongside NTR and Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Eventually, NTR would cast her as the female lead in his directorial debut film, ‘Seetarama Kalyanam’ (1961).

In her mother tongue Kannada, her portrayal of ‘Kittooru Rani Chennamma (1961) was widely acclaimed. She also starred in the first Kannada film shot entirely in colour, ‘Amarashilpi Jakanachaari’, a 1964 biographical film of a legendary 12th Indian sculptor.

Although she continued to act even after her marriage, she cut down on the volume of work. Her last lead role, that of a matron, was opposite Sivaji Ganesan in ‘Parambariyam’ (1993). Her last film 'Aadhavan' (2009), which had Suriya and Nayantara playing the lead. Saroja Devi played a judge's mother in this Tamil film.

Recognising her contribution to Indian cinema, the central government has not only acknowledged her with Padma Shri (1969) and Padma Bhushan (1992), but also a Lifetime Achievement Award during India's 60th Independence Day celebrations in 2008.

She also won may state awards, including the prestigious Kalaimamani Lifetime Achievement award by the Tamil Nadu government in 2009 Saroja Devi's Instagram account is proof that she kept with the times too. It also gives us a glimpse into her post retirement life -- and the clout that she commanded until the very end. She documented meticulously when the current crop of stars like Dhanush, Karthi, Puneeth Rajkumar and Darshan, dropped in at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru.

In an interview to a Tamil television channel, Saroja Devi talked about how all generations of stars have always showered her with love and the camaraderie that she shared with them, irrespective of their age.

In her lengthy condolence post, Khushbhu, too, acknowledged the great rapport that she had with her.

“My trip to Bengaluru was incomplete without meeting her. And whenever in chennai, she would call. Will miss her immensely. Rest in peace Amma,” she wrote. PTI JR ROH