15-07-2025
Saroja Devi: An ageless entertainer and enduring fashion icon
Hindi film aficionados cannot forget her sultry and sensuous presence, with a love-struck Rajendra Kumar crooning 'Teri Pyari Pyari Surat Ko, Kisi Ki Nazar Na Lege'. The year was 1961 and the film 'Sasural', a remake of a Telugu film 'Illarikam'. Irrespective of the strong overhang of the Madras- style narration, Bangalore Saroja Devi, who made her debut in three Dravidian languages in the 1950s, (apart from Hindi with 'Paigham' in 1959) made a notable impact across the borders with this L V Prasad-produced, T Prakash Rao directed movie in Bombay. With this, she also became one of the earliest south-based heroines who managed to hit the bull's eye in Hindi, without losing out on her base back home. A striking aspect of this Kannadiga-origin star was that she managed to act in 100 films exclusively in Tamil (out of a total of around 200), accepted and appreciated for her parrot-like tone of the ancient language, which earned her the sobriquet 'Kannadathu Paingili'….
A career which began when she was barely an adult in 1955 went on to last till 2019, a record 64 years overall. Of course, the spotlight had shifted from her in the mid-1960s, when younger heroines caught the attention of the then middle-aged heroes of Madras – MGR and Sivaji Ganesan. Even then, till another Karnataka counterpart J Jayalalithaa overtook her in the southern film industry (of having acted in the maximum number of films with these two titans), Saroja Devi had acted in 45+ films with both of them, many of them enduring entertainers till date, noted for their storytelling, histrionics and evergreen songs.
Having begun with Akkineni Nageswara Rao in 1959 ('Pelli Sandhadi'), she had a good run in her hometown when she was successfully paired with the matchless matinee idol Dr Rajkumar in many films in the same decade. A rare feat for any heroine, she took up challenges like playing a dual role in both Kannada and Tamil apart from a triple role in Telugu ('Uma Chandi Gowri Sankarula Katha' – 1968) which had the mythological film specialist, N T Rama Rao as her male co-star.
Bankrolled by B Nagi Reddy, one of the biggest producers in those days, it failed at the box-office but gave the lady star bragging rights to have been on par with male co-stars who had done multiple roles in their films.
Even though her career took a slight dip, post marriage in the late 1960s, she acted with the A-listers right till 1974, as she turned 36. Ironically, that was the age when top heroines were consigned to mother, aunt or sister roles. A unique blend of sizzle and impish charm was her calling card, which sustained her all through as she moved seamlessly from one language to another, recalibrating her career based on its highs and lows. Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan instituting 'Padma Bhushan B Saroja Devi National Award' is another illustration of how her career was a milestone worth emulating as none of her contemporaries were bestowed with such an honour by this 'Institute of Eminence' in the country. Like many of her ilk, she too was one of a kind. Irreplaceable. Inimitable.
