B. Saroja Devi Age, Death, Husband, Children, Family, Biography

Quick Info→

Age: 87 Years

Death Date: 14/07/2025

Husband: Sri Harsha

Bio/Wiki
Full Name	Bangalore Saroja Devi
Other Name	Dr B Sarojadevi Sri Harsha
Profession	Actor
Physical Stats
Height (approx.)	5' 5" (165 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
Career
Debut	Film(s) • Kannada: Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955) as 'Vidyadhare' • Telugu: Panduranga Mahatyam (1957) as 'Kalavati' • Tamil: Thirumanam (1958) as a dancer • Hindi: Paigham (1959) as 'Malti'
Awards, Honours	• Conferred the title of 'Abhinaya Saraswathi' by the Government of Karnataka (1965) • Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award (1969) • Best Actress award for the film 'Kulavilakku' at the Tamil Nadu State Film Awards (1969) • 'Abhinandana-Kanchana Mala' award by the Karnataka State (1980) • Rajyotsava Awards by the Government of Karnataka (1988) • Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award (1992) • M.G.R. Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu (1993) • Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award – South (1994) • Lifetime Achievement Award by Cinema Express in Chennai (1997) • NTR National Award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (2001) • Dinakaran Award for All-round Achievement (2003) • Honorary Doctorate from Bangalore University (2006) • Vijay Award for Contribution to Tamil Cinema • NTR Award for Remarkable Achievement by Karnataka Telugu Academy (2007) • Rotary Sivaji Award by the Charitable Trust and Rotary Club of Chennai • Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of India, as a part of the celebrations of India's 60th independence day (2008) • Kalaimamani Award by the Government of Tamil Nadu (2009) • Dr. Rajkumar Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of Karnataka (2009) • NTR National Award by the Government of Andhra Pradesh (2009) • Natya Kaladhar Award - Tamil Cinema by Bharat Kalachar, a cultural organization in Chennai (2009) • Lifetime Achievement Award by Prajavani Cine Sammana (2024)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	7 January 1938 (Friday)
Birthplace	Bangalore, Mysore State (now Karnataka), India
Date of Death	14 July 2025
Place of Death	Her residence in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru
Age (at the time of death)	87 Years
Death Cause	Age-related illness
Zodiac sign	Capricorn
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Bengaluru
School	St. Theresa School, Bengaluru
Religion	Hinduism
Caste	Vokkaliga
Social Media	Instagram
Relationships & More
Marital Status (at the time of death)	Widow
Marriage Date	1 March 1967
Family
Husband/Spouse	Sri Harsha (m. 1967; until his death in 1986)
Children	Son- 1 • Ramachandran Daughter(s)- 2 • Harsha Bhuveneshwary (niece, adopted) • Harsha Gautam
Parents	Father- Bhairappa (police officer in Mysore) (deceased) Mother- Rudramma (homemaker)
Siblings	Brother- None Sister(s)- 3 (elder)

Some Lesser Known Facts About B. Saroja Devi

It was Saroja’s father who encouraged her to pursue acting and also insisted that she learn classical dance.

As a kid, Saroja Devi would often go to studios with her father, who would lovingly tie her salangais (ankle bells worn for classical dance) and massage her feet after long dance sessions.

When Saroja was 13, filmmaker B.R. Krishnamurthy saw her singing at an event and offered her a role, but she politely refused, as she was not ready to enter films yet.

Saroja rose to prominence in Tamil cinema after starring in the 1958 film ‘Nadodi Mannan.’

Saroja Devi had a few personal rules she stuck to, like avoiding swimsuits and sleeveless blouses in her films. Her mother set these rules, and Saroja followed them throughout her career.

After her marriage in 1967 and the growing popularity of actresses like J. Jayalalithaa and K. R. Vijaya, Saroja Devi’s pairing with actor M.G. Ramachandran (aka MGR) came to an end.

After 1968, she gradually stepped back from Tamil films and became more involved in Kannada cinema.

Over time, Saroja Devi became one of the highest-paid actresses in both Kannada and Telugu cinema.

Saroja worked in nearly 200 films across multiple languages, including Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi, in a career spanning over seven decades.