Final rites of Saroja Devi will be conducted with full State honours: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah offered floral tribute to legendary actress B Saroja Devi, who passed away at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru. The 87-year-old actress died on Monday (July 14, 2025) due to age-related illness.

He stated, “On my behalf, and on behalf of the Government of Karnataka, I pray for her soul to rest in peace and for strength to her family members to bear this loss.” Siddaramaiah also announced that state honours would be accorded at her cremation.

Her last rites will be performed in her native village Dhashavara in Channapatna taluk of Mandya district on July 15, 2025.

Speaking to reporters after paying homage, the Chief Minister described her demise as “a major loss to the entire film industry.”

“B Saroja Devi entered the film industry at a very tender age and served it for nearly 70 years. At a young age, she earned the title of ‘Abhinaya Saraswati’ and became a multi-talented actress who worked in Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi films,” Siddaramaiah said.

Saroja Devi brought life into the characters she portrayed and acted alongside leading actors of her era, including M G Ramachandran, N T Rama Rao, Shivaji Ganesan, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajendra Kumar, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, and Dr Rajkumar, he added.

The Chief Minister also said that Saroja Devi had immensely contributed to the growth of the Kannada film industry. He also recalled having met Saroja Devi on several occasions.

"She was always warm and affectionate. I have also watched some of her memorable films such as Kittur Rani Chennamma, Bhagyavanthalu, Babruvahana, and Nyayave Devaru," he recalled.