She was fondly called ‘Kannadathu Paingili’ (Kannada’s parrot) in Tamil.
The actor, who got her first break when she was 17 years old in Kannada film ‘Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955)’, is also known as the first female superstar of Kannada cinema.
The actor went on to win a National Award for her performance in her debut film.
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 actresses of Tamil cinema.
Although she married in 1967, Saroja Devi continued to be in demand, especially in the Tamil film industry. She was also called ‘Abhinaya Saraswathi’. PTI JR ADB