B. Saroja Devi

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B. Saroja Devi (7 January 1938– 14 July 2025) was an Indian actress who appeared in 200 Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Hindi films over seven decades. She was one of the most successful actresses in the history of Indian cinema. She is regarded as the first female superstar of Kannada cinema. Posthumously, Saroja Devi became the first women to be awarded the Karnataka Ratna, the highest civilian award of the State of Karnataka. Saroja Devi was fondly called as Kannadathu Painkili (Kannada's parrot) in Tamil cinema and Abhinaya Saraswathi (Goddess of Acting) in Kannada cinema. Aged 17, Saroja Devi got her first big break with the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955). In Telugu cinema, she made her debut with Panduranga Mahatyam (1957), and starred in a number of successful films until the late 1970s. The Tamil film Nadodi Mannan (1958) made her one of the top actresses in Tamil cinema. After her marriage in 1967, she continued to be in demand, acting in Tamil films until 1974 and in Telugu and Kannada films until the 1980s. She also starred in Hindi films until the mid-1960s, starting with Paigham (1959). In 1969, Saroja Devi received the Padma Sri, the fourth-highest civilian honour, and in 1992 the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award, from the government of India. She received an honorary doctorate degree from Bangalore University and the Kalaimamani award from the state of Tamil Nadu. She also received the Dr. Rajkumar Award Lifetime Achievement by the Government of Karnataka and the NTR National Award from the Government of Andhra Pradesh. In 2025, Government of Karnataka announced to constitute the 'Abhinaya Saraswathi B. Saroja Devi Lifetime Achievement Award' in her honour.