Legendary actress B Saroja Devi, the first female superstar of Kannada cinema, died on Monday (July 14), at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru, due to age-related illness. She was 87. As per a report in PTI, Saroja Devi's eyes were donated to Narayana Nethralaya as per her wish, hospital officials said.
An official at the Dr Rajkumar eye bank of Narayana Nethralaya informed, "She had spoken about pleading her eyes a few years ago, and once, when she came to the hospital for checkup she spoke to our chairman about her desire to donate her eyes and a card was made for eye donation. It has been about five years since she registered for eye donation."
Speaking to reporters, the doctor said that the veteran actress has donated her eyes and they will be transplanted in a couple of days. "Only corneas have been taken, both her corneas are in good condition...."
Saroja Devi's last rites
The last rites of 'Kannadathu Paingil', will be conducted as per Vokkaliga traditions, on Tuesday, July 15, at her native Dasavara village in Channapatna taluk in Bengaluru South (Ramanagara) district, her son Gowtham told reporters.
He added, "The mortal remains will be taken to Dasavara from Bengaluru at 11.30 am on Tuesday".
The entire South film fraternity mourned the demise of the cinema icon. Celebs like Rajinikanth, Khushbu Sundar, Vijay Sethupathi, Vishal, Kichcha Sudeep and others paid heartfelt tributes to the departed soul.
Saroja Devi, who made her acting debut at the age of 17, with the Kannada film Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), acted in over 200 films in Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi languages. She was the first Kannada female actor to earn the title Chaturbhasha Taare (Four-language Star).
She was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1969, Padma Bhushan in 1992. and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Government of India, in 2008.
