“Nimegke Kodabake Cupa?” – This powerful line is distinguished among the people of Karnataka for two reasons till date: Kitoor’s queen Rani Chennamma to demonstrate fierce protest against British imperialism, who refused to pay them taxes, and to establish a terrible acting of one of the most celebrated female superstars of Indian cinema.

B Saroj Devi was born on January 7, 1938 in Bangalore, the state of Mysore (now Bangalore, Karnataka) in a Kannada-bound family. After being fond of dance, singing and plays during his school days, it was during a performance that he was seen by Mannappa Bhagwatar, a leading Kannada cinema, and offered the lead female role in his film ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa’ (1955).

Initially, after being reluctant to act in films, she accepted only the proposal at her mother’s insistence, as she could never refuse her mother’s wishes. Saroj Devi’s first film was a major success, to earn a national award and open several doors to strengthen their heritage for the young actor. Whether she wants cinema or not, it seems that Destiny decided that cinema wanted her.

Starting with a film at one time, Saroja Devi began to act in more than 200 films in her brilliant career, played a lead role in 161 films and ruled as one of the top female stars for nearly three decades. After starting his career at a very young age in the 1950s, the superstar began to tighten the test of time, until he decided to step back one step, he faced several generations of the actors.

Saroja Devi shared screen space with the biggest names in Indian cinema. Dr. in Kannada From Rajkumar to Tamil MG Ramachandran, NT Ram Rao in Telugu and Dilip Kumar in Hindi – and many other iconic names of Indian cinema – Yuva Starlet, within their first 25 films, had already acted against many of them, making him one of the youngest ‘Pan -Indian’ stars of Indian cinema.

The depiction of the fearless warrior in ‘Kitoor Chennamma’ (1961) of B Saroj Devi is one of the most prestigious performances in Kannada cinema. Directed by BR Panthaulu, the film brought the story of Rani Chennamma to life, who led an armed rebellion against the British East India Company in the early 19th century.

Saroj Devi’s powerful dialogue distribution – especially line “Nimegke Kodabeku Kappa” – Kannada echoes deeply with the audience and has become a symbol of resistance and pride.

On March 1, 1967, Mr. Harsh, an engineer of Bharat Electronics, acted in about 100 films as a female lead. Unlike many of her contemporaries, who got away from the headlines after marriage, Saroja Devi continued to translate the silver screen with her husband’s unwavering support.

During an interview, when asked how she managed to balance her after her career, Saroja recalled a story that traveled through the legends of the industry. “Dilip Kumar once said that he had asked Saira Banu not to act. This story was shared by Rajesh Khanna with my husband, Mr. Harsh – urged him not to stop me from acting.”

After the loss of her husband, Mr. Harsha in 1986, the life of Saroj Devi took a quiet turn. She signed up for the Kannada film ‘Ladies Hostel’ in 1985, but stopped the shooting of Midway for her care during her illness. After his passing, she completely got away from the headlines, not shooting or meeting someone outside his family for about a year.

It was only in 1987 that he started the work again. ‘Ladies Hostel’ became a commercial success, but Saroja Devi chose not to take any new role. Instead, he honored his earlier commitments, completing eight films signed before 1986. Once completed those projects, he took a conscious break from the cinema. Although she returned to acting, her appearance was greatly reduced, which marks the end of the era defined by her dominance on the screen.

During her brilliant career, B Saruja Devi received many honors by celebrating her permanent influence on Indian cinema. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1969 and Padma Bhushan in 1992 by the Government of India. He also received an honorary doctorate and various lifetime achievements Awards from Bangalore University.

B Saroj Devi gave some of the most prestigious performances of Indian cinema in languages. Along with MG Ramachandran, he formed a successful pair of Tamil hits like ‘Nadodi Mannan’ (1958), ‘Thai Soolai Thaitaadhe’ (1961), and ‘Padagoti’ (1964). In Telugu, his role in ‘Sethrama Kalyanam’ (1961) with NT Ram Rao remains memorable.

He also shared a screen with Hindi cinema legends like Dilip Kumar in ‘Paigham’ (1959) and Shami Kapoor in ‘Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya’ (1963). In Kannada, Dr. His famous collaboration with Rajkumar includes ‘Anna Thani’ (1958) and ‘Mallammana Pawada’ (1969).

Dr. B Saroj Devi died at the age of 87 during the early hours of July 14, 2025. He was reportedly found unconscious at his residence in Malleshwaram, Bangalore, and was rushed to the hospital, where doctors confirmed that he had passed away. Although the huge appearance of an experienced superstar leaves behind a hollow, the inheritance is immortal.