Saroja Devi symbolised sartorial elegance, says tinsel town

The Aura & The Oeuvre

Bengaluru: The weather had turned gloomy as the Kannada film industry mourned the loss of yet another actor whose immense contributions to Indian cinema is unforgettable. 

B Saroja Devi was born in Bengaluru in 1938 and began her career as an actor with the Kannada movie ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa’ in 1955. 

The Kannada film fraternity fondly remembered memories with the actor. 

Actor Jaggesh recalled Saroja Devi sending him mangoes from her farm and helping her revive the lotus pond in her house. 

When he once asked her how she handled so many movies, she said she would shoot for one movie from 9 am to 1 pm. After a small break, she would again shoot from 2 pm to 6 pm, with the final session from 7 pm to 12 am.

“She had great popularity in Tamil Nadu. Even today, when someone walks stylishly, people associate it with Saroja Devi’s walk,” he said.

“Saroja Devi was someone who acted alongside all super stars of India. Especially her movies with MGR in Tamil and with Rajkumar in Kannada are unforgettable,” he shared.  In ‘Puttamalli’ (1995), Malashri and Saroja Devi appeared on screen together. Malashri described the moment as “a dream come true”. “She was a real lady superstar. I used to be a big fan when I was young and would try all her dance movements and expressions,” she added. 

The two then went on to become close friends. “Sitting with her is always a learning experience. She would share about her experiences from shooting back in her days, about make-up, costumes, shooting timings… She would always talk about how having passion for cinema is important,” Malashri recalled. 

“She had an aura. When she walked into the room, all eyes moved to her. Saroja Devi also had a unique walking style. Another thing I admired about her is that she had a new look in every movie”. 

“Talking to her was like reminiscing about the history of south Indian film industry,” said senior journalist Pratibha Nandakumar, who wrote a biography of the actor for Sudha weekly, DH’s sister publication. 

“The kind of characters she played, the actors she acted with, the directors, production houses, it was an amazing experience to listen to her. She is the only one who has received Dr Rajkumar award in Karnataka, NTR award in Andhra Pradesh and MGR award in Tamil Nadu. This cannot be repeated,” she said. 

Prathibha then decided to publish a book about Saroja Devi and again met her for close to a month to document the events after the initial publication in Sudha.

She recalled a huge corridor-like walk-in wardrobe in the actor’s house in Malleswaram.

“All her saris with their matching petticoats and blouses were neatly hung. It was so orderly even after 20 years. Her room looked like it belonged to a queen. Her mother had always made sure she had all the luxuries,” Pratibha said. 

While working with K V Anand for ‘Maattrraan’ (2012), Pratibha recalled the team was looking for an item for an auction scene, that could also come across as funny and could connect with the Tamil audience.

“After a lot of thinking, Anand said let’s have Saroja Devi kondai (hair bun). The Tamil people are very fond of Saroja Devi. Just imagine, people from Kannada, Tamil and Telugu, each one claiming her to be theirs. I find that very fascinating. You don’t find that kind of stardom anymore,” she shared. 

“She was a true legend. She was also intelligent about her finances and lived like a queen till the end,” Pratibha concluded. 

Actor-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh, speaking to the media, said she will “miss the affectionate attitude of Saroja Devi”.

“She was undeniably a big star, but never carried the air of her popularity. She treated Ambareesh like her younger brother. Her genuine personality was truly inspirational,” she added. 

Filmmaker Yogaraj Bhat said “artistes never die”. He reflected on how their faces, voices and the many characters they played can still be seen on the screen and remain with us for eternity. “That’s the power of art,” he added.