Veteran actor and Padma Bhushan B Saroja Devi passed away on Monday at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. She was 87 and had been dealing with age-related health issues. Following the news of her demise, actor and politician Nandamuri Balakrishna issued a heartfelt condolence message reflecting on her contribution to Indian cinema and her long-standing collaboration with his father, the late N.T. Rama Rao.
In a statement, Balakrishna wrote, “The news that Padma Bhushan B Saroja Devi has passed away is of great sadness. She got the great credit of being a hit pair with NTR in Telugu, MGR in Tamil, and Rajkumar in Kannada. With my father NTR, she acted for 20 years in at least 20 films. She got the special talent and recognition of playing Sitadevi to his Sriram roles and Mandodhari to his Raavana roles.”
He added, “The death of B Saroja Devi is a sad event for the South Indian film industry. The services she offered both on screen and in her real life will inspire people in film circles for generations to come. Praying to the Lord to bring peace to her soul and strength to her family members.”
B Saroja Devi’s career spanned over seven decades with more than 200 films across Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi cinema. Some of her most iconic collaborations were with Dr Rajkumar, M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), Sivaji Ganesan, and NTR. She was the recipient of several honours, including the Padma Shri (1969), Padma Bhushan (1992), and multiple state-level lifetime achievement awards.
Her final rites will take place at her family’s Kodigehalli farm in Bengaluru, next to her late husband Harsha’s memorial.