‘Kannadathu Paingili’ Saroja Devi, legendary 60's actress of south Indian cinema passes away at 86 in Bengaluru

CHENNAI: Yesteryear's superstar, Saroja Devi, who has acted in over 200 films in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, passed away in Bengaluru on Monday. She was born in 1938 and her original name was Radha Devi.After making her debut in a Kannada film ‘Mahakavi Kalidas’ in 1955, she went on to act with superstars MGR, NTR and Sivaji Ganesan. She reached superstardom with the success of Nadodi Mannan with MGR in 1958.MGR-Saroja Devi was considered a superhit pair in Tamil Nadu, as most of their 26 films together were super hits. They include all-time favourites like Nadodi Mannan, Anbe Vaa, and Enga Veettu Pillai. She was ruling the tinsel world in the 1960s and 1970s.With Sivaji Ganesan she had acted in 22 films, including such blockbusters as Puthiya Paravai.Saroja Devi’s last film was Surya-starrer Adhavan in 2009.She had been conferred Padmasri and Pama Bhushan awards and in 2008 the Union govt honoured her with lifetime award.She was affectionately called Kannadathu Paingili (Pretty parrot from Karnataka) and Abinaya Saraswathi by her fans. When she was at her peak for about 17 years, Saroja Devi is said to have commanded a pay cheque much more than her contemporary heros.During her 50-year career, Saroja Devi earned a reputation for a fine acting and and expressions.