Shivarajkumar recalls his bond with late actress B Saroja Devi, says can’t forget her in a lifetime

BENGALURU: Actor Shivarajkumar expressed his pain over the passing away of legendary actress B Saroja Devi in Bengaluru and recalled his bond with her. Talking to mediapersons, he said, “There are a lot of memories, because she has seen me from the time I was born. So there is a lot of bondage with Sarojadevi. I think we can’t forget her in a lifetime”.

He added that she was not just a remarkable actor but also a good human being. “Not that she is a superstar, that is secondary. Primary is a very good human being who showed love and affection, like a mother. So I can say I lost my other mother, I can say. She acted in almost all Indian languages. All languages she has acted…”

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: On the demise of veteran Kannada actor Saroja Devi, Kannada actor Shiva Rajkumar says, “…We cannot forget her. She was a good person. She showed love and affection like a mother. I can say that I have lost my mother…” pic.twitter.com/hUc7GSPRiv

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2025

Saroja Devi, who has acted in about 200 films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films over seven decades passed away at the age of 87.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah paid tribute to the late actress in his post on X. “The news of the passing of senior Kannada actress B. Sarojadevi has caused deep sorrow. She had acted in approximately 200 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema, earning fame as the goddess of acting. The moment one mentions Sarojadevi, her captivating performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, and Annathangi come to mind,” he wrote .

#WATCH | Bengaluru, Karnataka: Veteran Kannada actor Saroja Devi passes away at 87 due to age-related illness

(Visuals from her residence in Bengaluru ) pic.twitter.com/jTBm1pTaMm

— ANI (@ANI) July 14, 2025

Siddaramaiah added, “Her departure, having entertained audiences for decades through refined films, is a significant loss to Indian cinema. I pray that Sarojadevi’s soul finds peace. My condolences to her grieving family and fans”, he wrote on X.

ಕನ್ನಡದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನಟಿ ಬಿ.ಸರೋಜಾದೇವಿ ಅವರ ನಿಧನವಾರ್ತೆ ನೋವುಂಟುಮಾಡಿದೆ. ಕನ್ನಡ ಚಿತ್ರರಂಗವು ಸೇರಿದಂತೆ ತಮಿಳು, ತೆಲುಗು ಮತ್ತು ಹಿಂದಿಯ ಸುಮಾರು 200 ಚಿತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಟಿಸಿ, ಅಭಿನಯ ಸರಸ್ವತಿ ಎಂದೇ ಖ್ಯಾತರಾಗಿದ್ದರು.

ಸರೋಜಾದೇವಿ ಎಂದಾಕ್ಷಣ ಕಿತ್ತೂರು ಚೆನ್ನಮ್ಮ, ಬಬ್ರುವಾಹನ, ಅಣ್ಣತಂಗಿ ಮುಂತಾದ ಚಿತ್ರಗಳಲ್ಲಿನ ಅವರ ಮನೋಜ್ಞ ಅಭಿನಯ… pic.twitter.com/ZOVdrXGqlp

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) July 14, 2025

Saroja Devi got her big break with her Kannada film ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa’ (1955). She made her Telugu film debut with ‘Pandurang Mahathyam’ (1957) and acted in several successful films until the late 1970s. The Tamil film ‘Nadodi Mannan’ (1958) established her as one of the top actresses in Tamil cinema.

After her marriage in 1967, she remained the second most sought-after actress in Tamil films until 1974, while she continued to be a top actress in Telugu and Kannada cinema from 1958 to 1980. She also acted in Hindi films, starting with ‘Paigham’ (1959) until the mid-1960s. She acted in 161 consecutive films as the female lead between 1955 and 1984.

Born on January 7, 1938, in Bengaluru, she acted with Dr Rajkumar, Kalyankumar, and Udayakumar in Kannada. In Telugu, she acted with A Nageswara Rao, N T Rama Rao. In Tamil, she acted with Gemini Ganesan, Sivaji Ganesan in 22 hit films, and with M G Ramachandran in 26 hit films. Saroja Devi acted in Hindi alongside Dilip Kumar, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor and Sunil Dutt.

Saroja Devi was awarded the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1992. She also received an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University and the Kalaimamani Award of Tamil Nadu. She received the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008. (ANI)