B Saroja Devi
Credit: DH Pool Photo
B Saroja Devi, who died at 87 on Monday, was a legend of Indian cinema, celebrated for her versatility and expressive acting.
Over five decades, she acted in 150-plus films. She appeared in richly mounted productions in four languages, almost all of them big hits.
Her histrionic range was vast, and she was paired with the biggest stars of south India –Rajkumar, M G Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan, N T Rama Rao and A Nageswara Rao. In Hindi, she acted with Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor and Sunil Dutt. Many of her films are regarded as classics.
Saroja Devi was just 14 when she debuted in the Kannada film ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa’ (1955). It won her a national award. She went on to play major roles in ‘Anna Thangi’, ‘Amarashilpi Jakanachari’ (the first colour film in Kannada), ‘School Master’, ‘Mallammana Pavada’ and ‘Bhagyavantaru’. In the historical ‘Kittur Rani Chennamma’, she portrayed the daring queen of Kittur raging against the British and won huge acclaim. Kannada film buffs also remember her in sensitive roles, including the one in ‘Katha Sangama’ directed by Puttanna Kanagal.
Saroja Devi was considered a lucky mascot in Tamil cinema, and was cast opposite MGR in 26 films, all of them runaway hits. She shared the screen with Sivaji Ganesan in 22 films.
In the 1960s, she was so busy that she was shooting for 18-20 hours a day. Super hits such as ‘Paalum Pazhamum’, ‘Aadip Perukku’, ‘Alaya Mani’ and ‘Puthiya Paravai’ made her a rage among Tamil audiences.
Her Telugu hits included ‘Seetha Rama Kalyanam’ and ‘Jagadeka Veeranukatha’ with NTR, while her Hindi films included ‘Paigham’ (with Dileep Kumar) and ‘Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya’ (with Shammi Kapoor).
Saroja Devi earned a huge fan following with her mincing accent and perky attitude. Her costumes and get-up became fashion statements. Her saris, blouses, jewellery, hairstyles, and mannerisms were copied by the women of her generation.
In Kannada, six decades after she debuted with Honnappa Bhagavatar, who discovered her, she appeared in a cameo with youth icon Puneet Rajkumar. Rajkumar and Saroja Devi were a hit pair for nearly three decades. She also acted with Bengali superstar Uttam Kumar who was so impressed with her that he described her as “a real actress”.
In the late ‘70s, her charisma began to wane with the arrival of younger heroines. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 54th National Film Awards ceremony, with Dileep Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Tapan Sinha. She received various awards from various states, besides two Padma awards.
Saroja Devi held a large number of public offices, including that of chairperson of the Karnataka State Film Industry Development Corporation. She invested her earnings wisely in a wide range of businesses. In her passing, Indian cinema has lost one of its tallest stalwarts, and Kannada cinema its first pan-India star.
(The author is a senior Bengaluru-based journalist and film critic)