B. Saroja Devi

Bangalore Saroja Devi (born 7 January 1938) is an Indian actress who has acted in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films.

She acted in around 200 films over seven decades.

She is known by the epithets "Abhinaya Saraswathi" (Saraswathi of acting) in Kannada and "Kannadathu Paingili" (Kannada's Parrot) in Tamil.

She is one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema.

She is also known as first female superstar of kannada cinema

Saroja Devi was born in Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore (now Bengaluru, Karnataka) on 7 January 1938 in a Vokkaliga family.

Her father Bhairappa was a police officer in Mysore, and her mother Rudramma was a homemaker.

She was their fourth daughter.

Bhairappa asked her to learn dancing, and encouraged her to take up acting as a career.

A young Saroja Devi was accompanied often by her father to studios and he would patiently tie on her salangais and massage her swollen feet after her dancing stints.

Her mother gave her a strict dress code: no swimsuits and no sleeveless blouses, which she followed for the rest of her career.

She was first spotted by B.R. Krishnamurthy when she was singing at a function at the age of 13, but she declined the film offer.

She is one of the very few actresses who starred in kannada,tamil,telugu and hindi in 1950's.

At the age of 17, Saroja Devi got her big break with her movie, the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955).

She played the lead heroine in 161 consecutive films in 29 years between 1955 and 1984.

Saroja Devi's debut movie and also her first major success was Honnappa Bhagavatar's Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), in which she played a supporting role.

The film won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada.

In Telugu cinema, she made her debut with Panduranga Mahatyam (1957), and starred in a number of successful films until the late 1970s.

Next, she acted in B. R. Panthulu's Tamil film Thangamalai Ragasiyam (1957), in which she performed a dance sequence.

Her early successes in Kannada cinema included Chintamani (1957), School Master (1958) and Jagajyothi Basveshwara (1959).

The first Telugu film featured dubbing; wherein, Krishna Kumari dubbed her voice in Panduranga Mahatyam (1957).

But in the subsequent years, Saroja Devi learnt Telugu language.

The Tamil film Nadodi Mannan (1958) made her one of the top actresses in Tamil cinema.

Subsequently, she was noted by M. G. Ramachandran (MGR), who cast her as the female lead in Nadodi Mannan (1958), the movie that made her one of the most popular actresses in Tamil Nadu.

The pair of MGR-Saroja Devi gave 26 back-to-back hit films together, which included 1: Nadodi Mannan (1958), 2: Thirudathe (1961), 3: Thaai Sollai Thattadhe (1961), 4: Paasam (1962), 5: Kudumba Thalaivan (1962), 6: Maadappura (1962), 7: Thayai Katha Thanayan (1963), 8: Dharmam Thalai Kaakkum (1963), 9: Needhikkuppin Paasam (1963), 10: Dheiva Thaai (1964), 11: Padagotti (1964), 12: Aasai Mugam (1965), 13: Nadodi (1966), 14: Thali Bhagyam (1966), 15: Naan Aanaiyittal (1966), 16: Petralthan Pillaiya (1966) and 17: Arasa Kattalai (1967).

She was then signed up for the Hindi film Paigham (1959), in which her co-stars included Dilip Kumar.

Following the success of Nadodi Mannan, she was also cast opposite the leading Tamil actors of that time: with Gemini Ganesan in Kalyana Parisu (1959), with Sivaji Ganesan in Bhaaga Pirivinai (1959) and again with MGR in Thirudadhe (1961).

Her Hindi films included Sasural (1960), Opera House (1961), Pareeksha, Hong Kong (1962) and Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963), which became successful.

She went on to work in other leading Hindi actors, including Rajendra Kumar in Sasural (1961), Sunil Dutt in Beti Bete (1964) and Shammi Kapoor in Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963).

She also shot a few scenes with Raj Kapoor for Nazrana (1961), but was replaced by Vyjayanthimala after a conflict with the director C. V. Sridhar.

Her involvement in Tamil films also continued with superhits like Palum Pazhamum (1961), Vazhkai Vazhvatharke (1964), Aalayamani (1962), Periya Idathu Penn (1963), Puthiya Paravai (1964), Panakkara Kudumbam (1964), Enga Veetu Pillai (1965) and Anbe Vaa (1966).

She came to be known as a "lucky mascot" for MGR films and acted with him in 26 films.

Her performance as a patriotic anti-British queen in the Kannada Kittooru Rani Chennamma (1961) was widely acclaimed.

Saroja Devi also achieved success in Telugu films, starring opposite N. T. Rama Rao in Seetarama Kalyanam (1961), Jagadeka Veeruni Katha (1961) and Daagudu Moothalu (1964).

In 1962 she was crowned "Chaturbhaasha Taare", because of her popularity in these four languages.

Her best performances opposite MGR were the "rich girl" roles: 18: Panathottam (1963), 19: Periya Idathu Penn (1963), 20: Panakkara Kudumbam (1964), 21: En Kadamai (1964), 22: Thaayin Madiyil (1964), 23: Enga Veettu Pillai (1965), 24: Kalangarai Vilakkam (1965), 25: Anbe Vaa (1966) and 26: Parakkum Paavai (1966).

In 1964, she and Kalyan Kumar acted in the first full-fledged Kannada colour movie Amarashilpi Jakanachaari.

Amara Shilpi Jakkanna (1964, remake of Kannada film) and Rahasyam, her film Pelli Kaanuka (1960) with Akkineni Nageswara Rao, were also successful.

After her marriage in 1967, she continued to be the second in demand actress in Tamil films till 1974, but she continued to be one of the top actresses in Telugu and Kannada cinema from 1958 until the 1980s,,she also starred in Hindi films until the mid-1960s, starting with Paigham (1959).

Saroja Devi received the Padma Sri, the fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1969 and Padma Bhushan, third highest civilian award, in 1992 from the Government of India, honorary doctorate from Bangalore University and Kalaimamani award from Tamil Nadu.