How B Saroja Devi became Kannada cinema’s female superstar

B Saroja Devi, who handed away at 87 on Monday (July 14, 2025), is a superb instance of a self-made star. Debuting in Kannada with Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), she broke the glass ceiling to turn into a pan-India phenomenon and got here to be hailed as the primary female superstar of Kannada cinema.

In an business dominated by male stars, Saroja Devi carved a distinct segment for herself. Be it with Dr Rajkumar in Kannada, MG Ramachandran and Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil, or N.T. Rama Rao in Telugu, Saroja Devi maintained a robust display screen presence reverse among the greatest heroes of Indian cinema.

National Award-winning actor Tara calls her a guiding mild in her profession. “She would always tell me to be independent as a woman. She would encourage several actors like me to fight for our rights in the industry,” remembers Tara, a degree reiterated by a number of girls actors of the business.

“She built a distinct legacy of her own which remains eternal,” opines creator and movie author Muralidhara Khajane. Saroja Devi impressed her contemporaries and paved the best way for her successors. “She should get the credit for spreading the essence of Kannada cinema across countries,” says Mr. Khajane.

Her illustrious profession was fuelled by dedication, notes creator and journalist Sreedhara Murthy. Her debut, Mahakavi Kalidasa, is concerning the legends of the poet Kalidasa. There are a number of slokas within the film. Saroja Devi has recited them so convincingly. To do this in your first movie requires nice exhausting work.”

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Saroja Devi entered the movie business with no formal coaching in performing. Yet, she was a gifted artiste. An excellent Bharatanatyam dancer and a stage singer, Saroja Devi might add life to songs on the massive display screen. “She is so graceful in the song ‘Nillu Nee Neelaveni’ in Amarashilpi Jakanachari (1964),” observes Murthy. The B S Ranga directorial, starring Kalyankumar, was Kannada’s first color characteristic, and Saroja Devi delivered a standout efficiency as Manjari.

“In Rathnagiri Rahasya, she makes a short appearance in ‘Yavvanave Ee Yavvanave’, and yet, her presence lingers on throughout the movie,” recollects Murthy. Following her prime interval, she remodeled right into a reliable character actor. Bhagyavantharu, through which she performed the supportive spouse to Dr Rajkumar’s character, is her most memorable work within the second stage of her profession.

“She would star in mythological and historical films in Telugu starring N T Rama Rao and do social dramas with MGR and Sivaji Ganesan in Tamil. She had a royal face to suit the period drama genre, and her expressive acting helped her convincingly portray relatable characters,” notes movie historian Okay Puttaswamy. Saroja Devi would dub her traces in all languages.

Actor-politician Sumalatha Ambareesh says she is going to miss the affectionate perspective of Saroja Devi. “She was a huge star, but she never carried the air of being popular. She was inspirational for her genuine personality,” says Sumalatha.