Saroja Devi was an Indian actress. She was best known for her work in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films. She acted in more than 200 movies.
She was lovingly called “Abhinaya Saraswathi” in Kannada, meaning “Goddess of expression,” and “Kannadathu Paingili” in Tamil, which means “Kannada’s Parrot.”
Death Reason & Age
According to the information, she died on 14 July 2025 at the age of 87. She had been dealing with age-related health issues and was found unconscious at her home in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, on July 14, 2025. She was taken to the hospital, but doctors later confirmed that she had passed away.
Husband, Children & Parents
She was born in a Vokkaliga family. Her father’s name was Mr. Bhairappa, who was a police officer in Mysore. Her mother’s name was Mrs. Rudramma, who was a homemaker. She has three sisters.
On March 1, 1967, she married Sri Harsha, who was an engineer. He worked at Bharat Electronics, a government-owned company. After their marriage, Sri Harsha supported Saroja Devi’s acting career.
He passed away in 1986 due to health issues. She had a daughter named Bhuvaneshwari, who was actually her niece and was later adopted by her. She also had two grandchildren, Indira and Gautam.
Early Life & Educational Details
Her real name was Bangalore Saroja Devi. She was born on 7 January 1938, in Bengaluru, India. Her father encouraged her to learn dance and supported her decision to become an actress.
When she was young, he often took her to film studios, helped her put on her dancing anklets (salangais), and even massaged her sore feet after long dance sessions.
Her mother set strict rules for how she dressed, no swimsuits or sleeveless blouses, which she followed throughout her career. At age 13, she was noticed by B.R. Krishnamurthy while singing at an event, but she turned down his offer to act in a film.
| Real Name | Bangalore Saroja Devi |
| Father’s Name | Bhairappa |
| Mother’s Name | B. Rudramma |
| Siblings | Three Sisters |
| Husband’s Name | Sri Harsha (m. 1967–1986) |
| Daughter | Bhuvaneshwari |
| Date Of Birth | 7 January 1938 |
| Age | 87 Years Old (2025) |
| Date Of Death | 14th July 2025 |
| Grand Children | Harsha Gautam, Harsha Indira, Ramachandran |
Net Worth, Religion & Ethnicity
According to the reports, her net worth was approximately INR 675 Cr. from all of her income sources as of 2025. She was born into a Vokkaliga family, a Hindu community mainly found in Karnataka, India. She has Indian Ethnicity.
Career Details
She was one of the most successful actresses in Indian cinema and is remembered as the first female superstar of Kannada films. She got her big break at the age of 17 with the Kannada movie Mahakavi Kalidasa in 1955.
She began her Telugu film career with Panduranga Mahatyam in 1957 and acted in many hit films until the late 1970s. After marrying in 1967, she remained one of the top actresses in Tamil cinema until 1974.
She also appeared in Hindi films, starting with Paigham in 1959, and continued until the mid-1960s. She was the only Indian actress to play the lead role in 161 films in a row over 29 years, from 1955 to 1984.
She was honored with the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992. She also received an honorary doctorate from Bangalore University and the Kalaimamani award from Tamil Nadu.
Her last film appearance was in Natasaarvabhowma, which was released in 2019.
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