Veteran actress Saroja Devi aka Abhinaya Saraswathi dies at 87 at her residence in Bengaluru

On Monday, veteran South Indian actress B. Saroja Devi passed away at her home in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, at the age of 87. According to reports from the news agency PTI, the iconic actress had been dealing with age-related health issues in the months leading up to her death.

During her career, Saroja Devi was known by several affectionate titles. In Tamil cinema, she was called Kannadathu Paingili (the Parrot of Karnataka), and in the Kannada film industry, she was known as Abhinaya Saraswathi (the Saraswathi of acting).

Khushbu Sundar, an actor and politician, shared her grief over B. Saroja Devi's passing in a heartfelt tribute on X (formerly Twitter). Sharing her condolences, Khushbu remembered the legendary actress, saying, “An era gold golden cinema comes to an end. #SarojaDevi amma was the greatest of all times . No other female actor in south has ever enjoyed the name and fame as her. Such a lovable adorable soul she was. Had a great rapport with her. My trip to Bengaluru was incomplete without meeting her. And whenever in chennai, she would call. Will miss her immensely. Rest in peace Amma. Om Shanti. #SarojaDevi."

Siddaramaiah also expressed his condolences on X, stating that B. Saroja Devi's passing is a significant loss for Indian cinema. "The news of the death of veteran Kannada actress B Saroja Devi is painful. She acted in about 200 Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada language films and was known as Abhinaya Saraswati," he said.

Siddaramaiah mentioned that Saroja Devi's performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, and Anna Thangi are unforgettable, and that she entertained audiences for many years.

Deputy CM DK Shivakumar said, also on X, "A loving farewell to Abhinaya Saraswathi."

Saroja Devi debuted in the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955) at age 17, earning a National Award for her powerful performance. Known as Kannada cinema's first female superstar, she quickly gained prominence. Her stardom in Tamil cinema was solidified with the 1958 blockbuster Nadodi Mannan, starring alongside M.G. Ramachandran (MGR). The film's huge success made her a top Tamil actress. Saroja Devi remained a sought-after star in Tamil films even after marrying in 1967.