Actor Saroja Devi's demise has shocked and sadenned fans and celebrities across India. From Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan to Kannada celebrities like Shivarajkumar, Upendra and others had paid their tributes to the veteran actor, and recalled vivid memories from their life and relationship with the star.
In her seven-decade-long career, she had worked with several actors - both young and new. From yesteryear stars MG Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajkumar, NT Rama Rao, Nageswara Rao, Gemini Ganesan to Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Ambareesh, and Anant Nag she has shared screen space with A-listers across generations.
In an earlier interview, Saroja Devi, known for her kindness, spoke about her relationship with her co-stars MGR and Sivaji, while also sharing memories about Suriya and Vijay. She recalled her shooting days with Suriya during Aadhavan (2009) and said, "I have loved them (Suriya and Vijay) just like I have loved everyone else. Whenever I went to the shooting spot, Suriya would come immediately, hold my hand and guide me to the shooting spot." On Vijay, with whom she acted in Once More (1997), she said, "Vijay is really lovable. I also expressed the same amount of love to him."
On veteran actor Sivaji, she recalled, "We both acted together in the film Paaluum Pazhamum (1961). After watching the film, he told me, 'You acted even better than me.' Hearing those words from him brought me immense joy. No matter how many awards I receive, nothing compares to that." She also revealed how she and Gemini Ganesan are close friends. "We had gone to Ooty for the shoot of a film. At that time, Gemini Ganesan’s mother and their whole family were with us. Kamala Selvaraj (Gemini's daughter) and I are very close as well. While we were shooting in Ooty, a group of college students came and surrounded our car. I got really scared. But Kamala bravely confronted them and stood her ground. Later, the police came, dispersed the crowd, and safely escorted us back."
B Saroja Devi, often hailed as Abhinaya Saraswati, passed away today (July 14) at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. She was 87 and had been battling age-related health issues.
Born on January 7, 1938, in Bengaluru, Saroja Devi was encouraged by her parents, especially by her father, a police officer, to learn dance, which led her to the silver screen. She debuted in 1955 with Mahakavi Kalidasa.
With a career that spanned over seven decades and more than 200 films, Saroja Devi ruled hearts across languages — Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi. She was honoured with Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan for her immense contribution to Indian cinema.