Veteran Actress Saroja Devi known as ‘Kannadathu Paingili’ passed away at 87

The actress who ruled the Golden Era of South Indian Cinema, actress Saroja Devi passed away at the age of 87 in her residence in Bengaluru. The veteran actress who was not seen in public or in movies in recent years have been said to have suffered from age-related issues. 

Celebrated as the first Superstar in Kannada Cinema, Saroja Devi was one of the most popular figures in South Indian cinema, surpassing many of her male counterparts in fame and filmography. She made her debut at the age of 17 with Mahakavi Kalidasa in 1955 and went on to act in several iconic films in Kannada such as School Master (1958), Kittur Chennamma (1961). 

Her introduction in Tamil was by and along actor M G Ramachandran who cast her as the heroine in Nadodi Mannan (1958), which became a huge blockbuster, making her a household name in Tamil Nadu. She was an enigmatic actress who was paired with some of the top actors such as Sivaji Ganesan, Gemini Ganesan and so on. 

Her film ‘Bhaaga Pirivinai’ with Sivaji Ganesan was also a huge success yet her famous on screen pairing with MGR in 20 films have been celebrated. The duo was seen in several hit films like Palum Pazhamum, Vazhkai Vazhvatharke, Aalayamani , Periya Idathu Penn, Puthiya Paravai , Panakkara Kudumbam , Enga Veetu Pillai and Anbe Vaa are classic films of Tamil Cinema. 

Saroja Devi also had a good run in Telugu and Hindi Cinema with titles like Seetarama Kalyanam (1961) with NT Rama Rao and Hindi titles like Sasural (1960), Opera House (1961). She was honoured with Padam Shri in 1969 and Padma Bhushan in 1969. 

Saroja Devi was married to Sri Harsha, an engineer who was a strong pillar of support for the actress. He passed away in 1986 due to several health issues while Saroja Devi raised her children alone and continued acting post marriage and the death of her husband. 

Her presence outshined some of her contemporary actors with a career spanning several decades and around 200 titles under her belt with 161 movies continuously as a heroine is a record. Saroja Devi is an iconic actress who was always remembered for her graceful smile and arresting eyes. 

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