Latest news with #Saroja
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Remembering B Saroja Devi with her best films: From Mahakavi Kalidasa, Nadodi Mannan to Anbe Vaa, Kittur Chennamma
Veteran actor B Saroja Devi died in Bengaluru on Monday at the age of 87. News agency PTI, citing film industry sources, said that she died due to age-related ailments at her residence in Malleswaram. She was fondly called 'Kannadathu Paingili' (Kannada's parrot) in Tamil, and 'Abhinaya Saraswathi' in Kannada. B Saroja Devi played lead in over 160 films from 1955-84. The actor got her first break when she was 17 years old in the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955). Her Tamil film with another legendary actor and former chief minister of Tamil Nadu, M G Ramachandran, Nadodi Mannan (1958), made her one of the top female actors of Tamil cinema. We pay tribute to the legendary actor with a list of her best films: A still from Mahakavi Kalidasa. Mahakavi Kalidasa The 1955 Kannada film marked Saroja Devi's debut. Directed by KR Seetharama Sastry, it is based on the legends of the poet Kalidasa. Saroja starred along with Honnappa Bhagavatar, B Raghavendra Rao, and Narasimharaju. Saroja received praise for her role. At the 3rd National Film Awards, the film won the award for Best Feature Film in Kannada. Nadodi Mannan Released in 1958, Nadodi Mannan marked Saroja Devi's debut in Tamil cinema and established her as a successful actor. Directed by MG Ramachandran in his debut as a filmmaker, he starred in dual roles alongside P Bhanumathi, MN Rajam, PS Veerappa, MN Nambiar, and MG Chakrapani. The film revolves around a king being replaced by a look-alike after getting abducted on the eve of his coronation. Saroja Devi played the king's daughter in the film. Made on a budget of ₹18 lakh, the film was a commercial success, grossing ₹1.1 crore in its lifetime. A still from Enga Veetu Pillai. Enga Veetu Pillai In the 1965 blockbuster film, she played a rich landlord's daughter. She was lauded for her role. The Tamil film, directed by Chanakya, also starred MG Ramachandran, SV Ranga Rao, MN Nambiar, Rathna and Pandari Bai in supporting roles. The film emerged as a major box office success and established young Saroja as a style icon. Anbe Vaa In the 1966 film, she played a rich girl who falls in love with a disguised industrialist. The Tamil romantic comedy film, directed by AC Tirulokchandar, also featured MG Ramachandran, SA Ashokan, Nagesh, and TR Ramachandran. Anbe Vaa received positive reviews from critics and was also a commercial success. Saroja Devi was praised for her performance. A still from Kittur Chennamma. Kittur Chennamma In the 1963 Kannada patriotic film, Saroja Devi played a freedom fighter who led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in 1824, and died in captivity in 1829. She earned critical acclaim and national recognition. Directed by BR Panthulu, the film also starred MV Rajamma and Leelavathi. The film was awarded the Best Feature Film in Kannada at the 9th National Film Awards. School Master The 1958 Kannada film directed by BR Panthulu also won a National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada. The film also starred Panthulu, Dikki Madhava Rao, MV Rajamma, Udaykumar, Sivaji Ganesan, and Gemini Ganesan. Padagotti The 1964 Tamil film, directed by T Prakash Rao, also starred MG Ramachandran, MN Nambiar, SV Ramadas, and Nagesh. In it, Saroja Devi played the daughter of the leader of the fishing community. Padagotti became a commercial success, with a theatrical run of over 100 days. Saroja Devi worked in over 200 Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi films. She is also known as the first female superstar of Kannada cinema.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
No sleeveless blouse, no swimsuit: How B Saroja Devi followed mom's no-glam dress code for life; yet was a fashion icon
Legendary actor B Saroja Devi died on Monday morning in Bengaluru due to an age-related illness. The 87-year-old is regarded as one of the most successful female stars in the history of Indian cinema, someone who transcended language barriers. She was a pan-India star before the term was even coined by 21st-century marketers. But to women in the south, she was also a style icon. Everything from her hair to sarees set the trend in the 60s and 70s. But Saroja Devi had entered the industry, not trying to be a fashion icon. In fact, the rules set by her mother almost ensured she would stay 'de-glam' almost her entire life. Saroja Devi was a style icon in the south in the 1960s. Saroja Devi's entry into cinema A young Saroja trained as a dancer and singer in her pre-teens, before she was spotted by director B.R Krishnamurthy when she was singing at a function, all of 13. Saroja's family declined the acting offer initially, before her father relented. The teenager was allowed to act in films, but her mother had strict rules for what she could wear on screen and in public: 'No swimsuits — not even sleeveless blouses' was the simple dress code. Saroja's debut film won the National Award (Mahakavi Kalidasa, 1955). And she never looked back. The success of Nadodi Mannan opposite MG Ramachandran made her one of the most popular stars in Tamil Nadu. A Bollywood debut opposite Dilip Kumar in the 1959 release Paigham followed. By the time the 60s rolled in, Saroja was one of the top stars in Kannada, Telugu, and Tamil films, and a known face in Hindi as well. B Saroja Devi, the style icon Saroja Devi's superstardom began in the mid-1960s with two blockbusters. MG Ramachandran's Tamil hits Enga Veettu Pillai (1965) and Anbe Vaa (1966) made her a household name. But more importantly, women began to copy her sarees and hairstyles from the film. Rediff noted years later that after Saroja Devi's stills were published in film magazines, the sarees and jewellery she wore became the fashion. The screen queen From 1955-84, Saroja Devi played the lead in 161 consecutive films, a record for Indian cinema. These included 26 back-to-back hits opposite MGR, 22 films with Sivaji Ganesan, 17 with Gemini Ganesan, and over a dozen each with NT Rama Rao and Dr Rajkumar. In Hindi cinema, she appeared in only a few films, but still managed to work with the top heroes of the time, including Dilip Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Sunil Dutt, and Rajendra Kumar. She was infamously replaced by Vyjanthimala from Raj Kapoor's Nazrana after a conflict with the director CV Sridhar. After her husband's sudden death in 1986, Saroja Devi stepped away from public life for over five years. She returned in 1993 but in supporting roles in films like Parambariyam, Anuraga Sangama, and Aadhavan. Her most recent work was Natasaarvabhowma, which was released in 2019.
The Wire
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Wire
Chennai: Evictions in the Name of Road Widening Project Leave Thousands of Residents Displaced
Chennai: On the morning of May 13, a forced eviction took place in the residential area of Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram, Chennai. Carried out in the name of development by the Tamil Nadu state highways department, the eviction was part of a project to widen the 6.8-kilometre Pallavaram-Kundrathur Road from two lanes to four, justifying it by claiming that residents lacked official proof of land ownership. At dawn on May 13, bulldozers arrived in Karaima Nagar, accompanied by a heavy police presence, to carry out the demolition of homes built over years. Many residents who had left for work returned to find their houses destroyed. The eviction, sudden and carried out without prior notice like many others in recent history, left families with no time to retrieve their belongings. 'I was sitting with my granddaughter when the police came. They dragged us both out, locked the door and began demolishing our home. I couldn't even change my clothes or take any of our belongings. Important documents like Aadhaar and ration cards were all destroyed. Many of our cats also died under the rubble. Now we have nothing, not even a dress to wear for tomorrow.' says Prema, a resident in Karaima Nagar. The affected people were not provided with alternative accommodation. For days, many residents were forced to stay amid the ruins of their homes in Chennai's searing heat. Residents evicted from their home in Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram, Chennai. 'Where are we supposed to use the toilet? There are no nearby public toilets we can access and we can't use open spaces in the heart of the city. We've started drinking less water just to avoid needing the toilet,' says Saroja, another resident. The residents insist that this is not merely about road widening. Many have alleged that 'private real estate interests' particularly the recent arrival of Casagrand and G Square apartment projects have played a crucial role in triggering the eviction. Notably, this event marks the continuation of evictions in Chennai that began more than a year ago in areas like Karaima Nagar and Anakaputhur, where high-rises and luxury apartments are located nearby. Previously, protests by residents and activists forced authorities to halt the demolitions midway. However, after continuously threatening the residents for over a year, the authorities have now resumed the evictions with the intent to completely erase these residential areas. Police and a bulldozer at the site of the evictions in Chennai. According to residents of Karaima Nagar, owners of these commercial apartments view their hut houses as an eyesore, claiming that it negatively impacted the area's aesthetics and reduced the appeal of nearby commercial buildings. They believe this perception played a key role in their forced displacement. 'Why only our homes?' Jeyanthi questions, 'If this eviction is really for road widening, why are only our homes being demolished? New apartments are also on the same stretch. Why are they untouched? Is the government widening the four-lane road particularly in our residential area?' Residents also report that government authorities had promised them a one-month period to vacate. Yet the demolition began the very next day without any formal procedure. There was no proper land measurement, no public hearing and no transparency, residents allege. When they demanded to see a court order for this eviction, the authorities refused to show it to them. Political betrayal has escalated the residents's distress. Residents say their area councillor, Madan, had earlier promised resettlement under the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board and warned them to not seek help from others to stop the eviction. Residents evicted from their home in Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram, Chennai. 'We trusted him. But when the demolition happened, he wasn't with us in the field. We even went to his house, he was nowhere to be found' claims Rajesh, a resident of Karaima Nagar. Many residents also alleged that they were verbally abused and intimidated into silence before the eviction by the councillor madan. The residents possess government-issued documents, such as Aadhaar and ration cards, all registered to this address and have consistently paid taxes for water, electricity and their homes. They question why the government continued to collect taxes from them if it claims they are illegally occupying the land. Land documents of a resident in Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram. In fact, a majority of these families are third-generation residents. Priya, who had lived in a hut house in the area for decades, had only recently built a concrete home. 'I worked night shifts and extra hours to save money and build this house. My entire family contributed to its construction. The paint on the walls was still fresh in my house when they demolished it in just a few minutes,' Priya stated. No alternative Authorities have justified the eviction under the pretext of legality and urban planning. However, according to the Tamil Nadu Slum Areas (Improvement and Clearance) Act, 1971, the government is required to provide resettlement options before eviction and must obtain the consent of the affected residents. Instead, what transpired was a sudden, brutal eviction, with no alternative housing provided. The authorities demolished the homes along with people's belongings, leaving the families homeless, without basic necessities. When asked about why the eviction was being carried out so hurriedly, an officer with the state highway department responded rudely and refused to answer. Two days after the eviction, land revenue officers visited the site and assured the affected families that land nearby would be allocated to them within three days, advising them to seek temporary shelter at a nearby school. The families refused to leave, unwilling to abandon their belongings on the open road and relocate at a school with no certainty about their future. A child's drawing on a wall of a now-demolished home in Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram. With many residents still sitting on the road, the government continued demolishing the remaining houses, further exacerbating the situation and leaving even more families homeless. Over a month now, the residents still remain homeless. Authorities recently gave a verbal assurance that the land will be allocated, but there is still no official confirmation. More evictions underway Following the Karaima Nagar eviction, demolition also resumed with full force in Anakaputhur and Kaithemillath Nagar areas under the same road widening project. The Tambaram Corporation said that the residents were living too close to the Adyar River and needed to be removed for safety reasons, as well as for road expansion. Authorities also claimed that the residents lacked proper land documents. So far, more than 1,000 families have been displaced from these three areas. Residents evicted from their home in Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram, Chennai. However, residents and activists have alleged that the major motive behind all these evictions is to make way for real estate projects, particularly those being built by Casagrand. These housing projects are coming up close to the riverbanks, near the areas where people are being evicted. The recent demolitions are part of a long, ongoing pattern of evictions in Chennai under the banner of development and beautification. Since the 1990s, Chennai has witnessed relentless displacement, particularly targeting working-class settlements in the name of making the city 'slum-free'. From 2015 to 2020 alone, over 75,000 people across Chennai were forcibly evicted and pushed to the city's outskirts including Perumbakkam, Ezhil Nagar, Navalur and Athipattu. Residents evicted from their home in Karaima Nagar, Pallavaram, Chennai. After the 2015 floods, mass displacement occurred in the riverbank areas of Chennai. The government at the time had claimed that informal settlements of marginalised communities along the Adyar and Cooum rivers and Buckingham Canal were responsible for the floods. However, IT parks and luxury apartments built on wetlands in Velachery were not subject to the same scrutiny. The outskirt resettlement buildings lack vital services like transportation, schools, healthcare and access to clean water. Most residents of these buildings are unable to find work due to the distance from their places of employment. 'I worked as a domestic helper before the relocation. I lost my job after we were relocated. I have been unemployed for more than a year,' says Sathya, a resident from Anakaputhur, Pallavaram, who was displaced last year. Furthermore, most of the resettlement areas are themselves susceptible to flooding. If the government states that the purpose of slum clearance is to provide safer and more reliable living conditions for people in vulnerable places, uprooting them to equally precarious situations invalidates the reason for the eviction. Hairunisha is a photography intern at The Wire. The Wire is now on WhatsApp. Follow our channel for sharp analysis and opinions on the latest developments.
Hans India
18-06-2025
- Hans India
A man awarded 20 years jail for sexual assault of minor
Nandyal: In a significant legal ruling, the Pocso Court in Kurnool sentenced Telugu Gangadhar, a 32-year-old resident of Regadaguduru village, to 20 years of imprisonment and imposed a Rs 25,000 fine for sexually assaulting a minor. The case ( was registered under Section 376 IPC and Section 5(1) r/w 6 of the Pocso Act. In a press release on Tuesday, the Nandyal police have stated that the incident came to light when the victim's mother, Saroja, noticed her daughter's deteriorating health and took her to Nandyal Government Hospital, where doctors confirmed her pregnancy. Based on the victim's statement, the police arrested the accused and remanded him. The case was thoroughly investigated under the supervision of senior police officials, including then SDPOs C Maheshwar Reddy and Shruti. A charge sheet with testimony from 20 witnesses was filed before the District & Sessions Judge, Pocso Court, Kurnool. The trial, monitored by Nandyal District SP Adhiraj Singh Rana and DSP R Ramanji Naik, led to the prosecution presenting substantial evidence, resulting in the guilty verdict. Special Public Prosecutor CV Srinivasulu effectively argued the case, ensuring justice for the victim. The efforts of investigating officers, including Atmakur Rural CI M Suresh Kumar Reddy and Velugodu SI Suresh Babu, were acknowledged by the district authorities.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Time of India
Woman & son accused of stealing friend's gold worth Rs 36.5 lakh from cupboard locker
Bengaluru: A 58-year-old widow in west Bengaluru has reported theft of gold ornaments, weighing around 520 grams and valued at Rs 36.5 lakh, allegedly stolen by a woman she had befriended. Saroja (name changed), a resident of Kengeri who suffers from cardiac problems, had removed the gold from her bank locker to sell and fund her treatment and repay her brother. The theft was discovered on May 11 when she returned home from a medical store and found her mobile phone missing and cupboard locker open. According to police, Saroja got to know the accused, Uma (name changed), when the latter's daughter befriended Saroja while caring for stray puppies near her residence. The friendship developed when Uma and her daughter visited Saroja in hospital after she suffered a heart attack. In May 2024, Saroja visited the bank with Uma to retrieve gold ornaments. Several months later, in Jan 2025, Saroja suffered a heart attack and was forced to sell a few of them to cover her medical expenses and other needs. She had planned to sell the remaining jewellery to repay her brother, who had supported her financially during reconstruction of her house. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Undo However, Saroja soon realised some ornaments were missing. She grew suspicious of her domestic help and dismissed her from service. On May 11, Uma visited Saroja at her house. Later that morning, Saroja stepped out to a nearby medical store, leaving Uma alone in the house. She returned an hour later, only to find her mobile phone missing from the table. When she checked the cupboard, she discovered the locker was ajar and the bunch of keys were still hanging in the door. Saroja immediately confronted Uma, who denied any involvement. She lodged a police complaint on May 15, accusing Uma and her son of stealing her phone and gold ornaments, weighing about 520 grams. A senior police officer said the case is under investigation.
