Saroja Devi, a powerhouse in Telugu cinema who shone in each interval and social dramas

The veteran actor, whose profession spanned greater than seven a long time and over 200 movies in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi, breathed her final in Bengaluru on Monday. She was 87. Often known as the primary feminine famous person of Kannada cinema, the Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee made her mark in Telugu in regal interval dramas in addition to social dramas.

Telugu film buffs would instantly recall her from the ‘Chitapata chinukulu paduthu vunte’ track from the 1964 movie, Aathma Balam, and her endearing presence in Jagadekaveeruni Katha.

Saroja Devi debuted in Telugu cinema with the 1957 movie Panduranga Mahatyam, directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao, co-starring NT Rama Rao and Anjali Devi, two years after her Kannada debut, Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955).

She went on to star in director Ok Shankar’s Bhookailas, which was concurrently made in Kannada as Bhookailasa, primarily based on the Kannada play of the identical identify. While the Kannada movie was led by actor Rajkumar, the Telugu model featured NTR and Akkineni Nageswara Rao.

Though Saroja Devi largely navigated between Tamil and Kannada cinema, she made her presence felt significantly in Telugu cinema. She performed the titular character within the 1966 movie Shakuntala, was solid as Mandodari in Sri Seetha Rama Kalyanam (1961) and Subhadra in Sri Krishnarjuna Yuddham (1963).

While her regal manner made her one of many favorite decisions for filmmakers exploring interval movies, Saroja Devi was additionally recognized for her work in social dramas like Pelli Sandadi (1959), Pelli Kanuka (1960), Daagudu Moothalu, Manchi Chedu and Pandanti Kapuram, to call just a few.

An anecdote from the archives of The Hindu, pertaining to the making of the 1964 movie Daagudu Moothalu, exhibits her recognition within the Sixties. During the shoot, Saroja Devi suffered a ligament tear, and the units that have been constructed for the songs ‘Mella Mella Mellaga’ and ‘Adagaka Icchina Manase’ at Vauhini Studios, in erstwhile Madras, needed to be dismantled. This escalated the associated fee, and producer Adurti Subba Rao travelled to Bengaluru to fulfill Saroja Devi at her residence. On discovering that her situation was worse than he had imagined, he’s mentioned to have dropped the thought of changing her with Krishna Kumari. The songs have been then filmed in Bengaluru within the neighborhood of Lal Bagh, Ulsoor Lake and Cubbon Park. She was reportedly paid a remuneration of ₹80,000, a princely sum on the time.