<p>Hyderabad: Legendary actor B Saroja Devi, who passed away at the age of 87 in Bengaluru on Monday, left behind a glorious legacy in the Telugu film industry too.</p>.<p>She worked alongside yesteryear stalwarts of Telugu cinema, including N T Rama Rao (NTR) and Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), with whom she created memorable on-screen magic. She acted in 20 films with NTR alone.</p>.<p>Actor and politician Nandamuri Balakrishna, NTR’s son, recalled her remarkable collaboration with his father.</p>.<p>“I am saddened to learn about her passing. During that era, she formed hit pairs with NTR in Telugu, MGR in Tamil, and Rajkumar in Kannada cinema. She was the heroine in about 20 films with my father over a span of 20 years.”</p>.<p>Balakrishna highlighted her versatility, noting, “She has the distinction of portraying Sita Devi alongside Sri Rama and Mandodari next to Ravana. I pray that her soul rests in peace. I extend my deepest condolences to her family.”</p>.<p>Saroja Devi made her Telugu debut with the 1957 film Panduranga Mahatyam, directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao and co-starring NTR and Anjali Devi. This came two years after her Kannada debut in Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955).</p>.<p>She subsequently starred in director K Shankar’s Bhookailas alongside NTR.</p>.Saroja Devi laid to rest with full state honours next to her mother.<p>The film was simultaneously made in Kannada as Bhookailasa, based on a Kannada play of the same name. While Rajkumar led the Kannada version, NTR headed the Telugu adaptation, with Akkineni Nageswara Rao also featuring prominently.</p>.<p>Saroja Devi’s Telugu filmography includes several iconic roles. She played the titular character in the 1966 film ‘Shakuntala,’ portrayed Mandodari in Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam (1961), and essayed the role of Subhadra in Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddham (1963).</p>.<p>Her notable Telugu films include Jagadeka Veeruni Katha, Seetarama Kalyanam and Daana Veera Soora Karna. Veteran cinema enthusiasts particularly remember her performance in the song “Chitapata chinukulu paduthu vunte” from the 1964 film Aatmabalam, where she starred opposite Nageswara Rao.</p>.<p>Reflecting on Saroja Devi’s contribution to Telugu cinema, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan expressed his grief over her demise.</p>.<p>He noted her nearly three-decade career spanning Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil films, emphasizing how she left her distinctive mark on the industry.</p>.<p>Kalyan specifically mentioned her impact on Telugu audiences through films such as Bhookailas, Panduranga Mahatyam, Sitarama Kalyanam, Jagadeka Veeruni Katha, Shakuntala, Daana Veera Soora Karna and Aatmabalam, while extending condolences to her family.</p>
<p>Hyderabad: Legendary actor B Saroja Devi, who passed away at the age of 87 in Bengaluru on Monday, left behind a glorious legacy in the Telugu film industry too.</p>.<p>She worked alongside yesteryear stalwarts of Telugu cinema, including N T Rama Rao (NTR) and Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR), with whom she created memorable on-screen magic. She acted in 20 films with NTR alone.</p>.<p>Actor and politician Nandamuri Balakrishna, NTR’s son, recalled her remarkable collaboration with his father.</p>.<p>“I am saddened to learn about her passing. During that era, she formed hit pairs with NTR in Telugu, MGR in Tamil, and Rajkumar in Kannada cinema. She was the heroine in about 20 films with my father over a span of 20 years.”</p>.<p>Balakrishna highlighted her versatility, noting, “She has the distinction of portraying Sita Devi alongside Sri Rama and Mandodari next to Ravana. I pray that her soul rests in peace. I extend my deepest condolences to her family.”</p>.<p>Saroja Devi made her Telugu debut with the 1957 film Panduranga Mahatyam, directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao and co-starring NTR and Anjali Devi. This came two years after her Kannada debut in Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955).</p>.<p>She subsequently starred in director K Shankar’s Bhookailas alongside NTR.</p>.Saroja Devi laid to rest with full state honours next to her mother.<p>The film was simultaneously made in Kannada as Bhookailasa, based on a Kannada play of the same name. While Rajkumar led the Kannada version, NTR headed the Telugu adaptation, with Akkineni Nageswara Rao also featuring prominently.</p>.<p>Saroja Devi’s Telugu filmography includes several iconic roles. She played the titular character in the 1966 film ‘Shakuntala,’ portrayed Mandodari in Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam (1961), and essayed the role of Subhadra in Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddham (1963).</p>.<p>Her notable Telugu films include Jagadeka Veeruni Katha, Seetarama Kalyanam and Daana Veera Soora Karna. Veteran cinema enthusiasts particularly remember her performance in the song “Chitapata chinukulu paduthu vunte” from the 1964 film Aatmabalam, where she starred opposite Nageswara Rao.</p>.<p>Reflecting on Saroja Devi’s contribution to Telugu cinema, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister and actor Pawan Kalyan expressed his grief over her demise.</p>.<p>He noted her nearly three-decade career spanning Telugu, Kannada, and Tamil films, emphasizing how she left her distinctive mark on the industry.</p>.<p>Kalyan specifically mentioned her impact on Telugu audiences through films such as Bhookailas, Panduranga Mahatyam, Sitarama Kalyanam, Jagadeka Veeruni Katha, Shakuntala, Daana Veera Soora Karna and Aatmabalam, while extending condolences to her family.</p>