B. Saroja Devi, the first female superstar of South Indian cinema and popularly known as ‘Abhinaya Saraswati’, died today at the age of 87. She was found unconscious at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. Family members immediately admitted her to a nearby hospital, but doctors confirmed her death after examination. She died due to age-related health problems, which has sent a wave of mourning across the film industry.
B. Saroja Devi started her career at the age of just 17 with the 1955 Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidas. After this, she acted in more than 200 films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada languages. Her performance in films like Kittur Chennamma, Amarashilpi Jakanacharya, Nadodi Mannan, Mallamma Pavada was highly appreciated by the audience. She also received prestigious national honors like Padma Shri (1969) and Padma Bhushan (1992).
On her demise, many artists including Rajinikanth, Khushbu Sundar, Madhu Shah paid emotional tribute on social media. Rajinikanth wrote, “Saroja Devi ji is no more among us. She won millions of hearts. May her soul rest in peace.” While Khushbu Sundar described her as “the greatest actress of South” and said, “The trip to Bangalore seemed incomplete without her.” Saroja Devi’s contribution was not limited to acting only, but she gave new heights to the role of women in Indian cinema. Her demise has ended an era, which cinema lovers will remember for a long time.