Kamal Haasan mourns the death of his ‘another mother’, Saroja Devi; recollects how she lovingly pinched his cheeks

Kamal Haasan recollected the close relationship he shared with Saroja Devi and mourned her death with a heartfelt message.

One of the superstars of south Indian cinema, B Saroja Devi, died at age 87 in Bengaluru on Monday. Fans and celebrities alike paid tribute to the star, with many recollecting their time with her. Kamal Haasan wrote an emotional message on social media, calling Sarojini ‘another mother’ and recollecting how she would lovingly pinch his cheeks at any age. (Also Read: ‘Superstar Saroja Devi built a legacy that is eternal’: Rajinikanth, Pawan Kalyan, Balakrishna, Simran, pay tributes)

Saroja Devi was like another mother, says Kamal Haasan mourning her death.

Kamal Haasan mourns Saroja Devi’s death

Kamal took to X (formerly Twitter) to reminisce about how Saroja, no matter which age he was, would call him her son and pinch his cheeks. He wrote in Tamil, “Wherever she saw me - at any age of mine - with fingers pinching my cheeks, with a voice calling me ‘dear son,’ she was another mother to me, Saroja Devi Amma.”

Calling her an artist who broke barriers, Kamal says news of her death made his eyes well up. “An artist who lived beyond the boundaries of language and region. She has passed away. From the moments of the shooting of my second film ‘Parthal Pasi Theerum’ to countless unforgettable memories that ripple through my heart. My eyes well up. A mother’s heart that always wished to see me as the foremost. I bow and bid farewell,” wrote the actor.

About Saroja Devi

Saroja Devi began her career in Kannada, but over the years, she gained fame for her roles in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi films. She debuted with the 1955 film Mahakavi Kalidasa and starred in notable films like Thirudathe, Kittooru Rani Chennamma, Periya Idathu Penn, Beti Bete and Enga Veetu Pillai. Saroja worked even after her marriage to an engineer, Sri Harsha, in 1967, and scaled back on work only in the early 2000s. Her husband died in 1986 due to health issues. Saroja died at home on 14 July due to age-related issues.