Karnataka and Tamil Nadu may spar over River Cauvery and Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, but when it comes to Saroja Devi, the love comes in sans borders
B Saroja Devi, who dominated the South Indian film industry in the sixties, is no more. The actress died at the age of 87 in Bengaluru on Monday (July 14). Saroja had acted in over 200 films, including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, besides Hindi. She was fondly called 'Kannadathu Paingili' (The Kannada Parrot) in Tamil Nadu, having starred in 26 films with matinee idols MG Ramachandran and 22 with Sivaji Ganesan.
Also read: B Saroja Devi, first female Kannada superstar, dies of illness at 87
She was born to Bhairappa, a police officer in Mysore, and Rudramma, a homemaker. She was the fourth daughter and was loathed by her mother and relatives as they were hoping for a son. Later, after her career soared and she took care of her mother’s needs, they regretted their attitude and Saroja became a family darling!
Saroja's entry into Tamil film industry
It was freedom fighter-publisher-filmmaker Chinna Annamalai who initiated Saroja’s entry into the Tamil film industry. While on a walk at the famous Marina beach in Chennai, he bumped into eminent danseuse Padma Subramanyam. Padma introduced a girl who had accompanied her (Saroja), and said her father and noted director, K Subramaniam, had given her a role in a Kannada film, and wanted him to give her opportunities in Tamil films.
Thus, it was how she got a role in Thangamalai Ragasiyam (1957), her first Tamil film. The song Yavvanamae En Yavvannamae (Uh Youth) was featured on her. Thangamalai Ragasiyam had Sivaji Ganesan, TR Rajakumari and Jamuna in the star cast.
Meanwhile, legendary actor Honnappa Bhagavathar, had already given Saroja a break in Mahakavi Kalidasa, a 1955 Kannada film, which went on to be a box-office hit. Bhagavathar was present at a school function where Saroja, as a schoolgirl, rendered a song. Impressed by her voice, he wanted to use her as a singer in the film and invited her for a voice test. However, finding that she was beautiful, he asked for a screen test and then included her as an actress in the movie. He also gave her an opportunity in Pancha Rathinam. Rudramma hoped her daughter would become a famous singer, but she became an actress.
Turning point in career
A turning point of her career came when MGR cast her as the second heroine in his magnum opus, Nadodi Mannan (1958). The story goes that Bhanumathi, the heroine of the film and MGR had a tiff. Bhanumathi was known to be an actress who always stood for her self-respect. MGR decided to introduce a young heroine in the second half of the film, and abruptly ended Bhanumathi's role – she gets killed despite MGR's attempt to save her. A rare case of the swashbuckling hero MGR failing to save his heroine!
In order to boost Saroja's role in the film, MGR decided to shoot the second half with Saroja's entry in colour, the first colour attempt in the Tamil industry. The film became a massive hit, and MGR-Saroja became a new pairing. Together, they acted in 28 films.
Saroja would recall that she owed MGR, in particular, for her rise in the Tamil film industry. During a shooting schedule at Shimla for the hit film, Anbe Vaa, she found the cold conditions unbearable. MGR sent his aide to fetch her woollen garments, sweaters and blankets from the Shimla market, at his own cost!
Saroja's eyes captivated audiences. Her faltering Tamil was excused as coming from a 'Kannada parrot'. She didn't indulge in "vulgar dances" or resort to "revealing" costumes. Her roles were always dignified ones.
Shining in Sivaji Ganesan's movies
Sivaji Ganesan too had her as his heroine for a number of films – 22. It was in the Sivaji Ganesan movies that she shone as an actress in her own right, like in Paalum Pazhamum, Pudhiya Paravai.
She had her share of Hindi films too – Paighaam (1959) with Dilip Kumar and Raj Kumar, Sasural (1961) with Rajendra Kumar, Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1963) with Shammi Kapoor, Beti Bete (1964) with Sunil Dutt, and so on.
Saroja was the recipient of the Padma Shree and Padma Bhushan awards of the Union government.
When movies moved away from the mythological and historical genres to the social arena, she represented the sprightly, educated teen girl of the sixties as well as the mature, family woman – both roles with commendable ease, dignity and grace.
Though Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were at loggerheads over the river Cauvery dispute or sparring over Kamal Haasan's Thug Life, Saroja continues to be loved by Kannada and Tamil audiences, and is looked at with awe and respect, both in Bengaluru and Chennai. She will be remembered as an embodiment of the combined Kannada-Tamil culture, sorely needed in troubled times, the antidote to linguistic chauvinism on both sides.
