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B S Saroja, was born on 18th November 1929, in Thriuvanthapuram, and had acted as a leading lady, sang and produced films in golden days of Tamil cinema.
B S Saroja, was born on 18th November 1929, in Thriuvanthapuram, and had acted as a leading lady, sang and produced films in golden days of Tamil cinema. She acted in multiple Tamil Films like Vikatayogi, Natya Rani, Pandiththevan, Oru Iravu, Koondukkili, Puthumaipithan, Arunagirinathar. She had also exhibited her acting prowess in multiple Indian Languages— Malayalam, Telugu, Kanada and Hindi.
Furthermore, she only studied till fourth standard, after which she joined a circus company she travelled with them all over India.
Her career in the entertainment industry began as a young singer in a chorus at the age of 10 for the Telugu film Bala Nagamma produced by Gemini Pictures. And in the year 1941 she joined the crew of a Tamil Cinema as junior artist and continued acting for the next three decades.
As a child, she was inspired by her violinist grandfather and vocalist mother to sing. And later she developed a love for cinema sets, and it made her happy to be just there, this love for acting and singing made her parents look hard to get her the first job as chorus singer as an entry into the film world. Her first job earned her ₹45 a month!
She was also inspired to work hard by watching the performances of artists like Yoga Mangalam, M.V. Rajamma and Vasantha.
Her first break as a leading lady came in when director K Subramaniyam signed her as the heroine for the film Vikata Yogi. Subramaniyam who had seen B.S Saroja on sets with different production was impressed by her talent. He cast her opposite then a star in his own right, Kumaresan.
Being a free-spirited person, she was always physically active in the film sets. She also tried and did the physical tasks her characters were required to do without much help from others.
Later on these sets she met her husband, T R Ramanna, who was working then as sound engineer for Subramaniyam. The duo fell in love, and chose to have a simple wedding in the temple with their parent’s blessing.
A few years down the line, she encouraged her husband to become a director. And together they started three production houses: R.R. Pictures, Vinayaga Pictures and Ganesh Pictures.
As a producer-director couple, they produced Periya Idaththu Pen which is B S Saroja’s favourite as it produced a super-duper hit song with MGR in western clothes! Other films produced by them are Panakkarak Kudumbam, Pasam, Kathavarayan, Thangachchurangam, Naan, Moondrezuthu, Sorgam and more.
B S Saroja managed the finances of their companies, not only that, she never shied away from having the money talk with her actors. She was a good paymaster who always paid salaries and advances on time. She visited the actors’ houses to pay them their dues; which was still a shocking behaviour for the society then.
In her illustrated career, B S Saroja, has worked with many leading men— her career’s greatest high came when she became the only leading lady who worked in cinema where MGR and Sivaji Ganesan worked together.
Koondukkili was produced by her and producer turned director husband. T R Ramanna, known for demanding work ethics and a man with great persuasive skills, created a blockbuster with help of his wife.
In her interview with the Hindu, she fondly recalls how professional and friendly both the matinée stars were during the shooting. Koondukkili, was written by social activist and reformist writer, Vindhan. The cinema was an instant classic and has stood the test of time.
B S Saroja is not only an actor, singer, producer, she is also a horticulturist! She loves growing flowers and fruits in her farm, which looked after with care and devotion for years. She even participated in flower shows and won few accolades.
After having three children and working tirelessly for three decades, she retired from acting around 1978. Many have speculated she stopped acting completely after the death of her husband, but she has refuted it. Later, she retired from the active role of the producer and spend her retirement with her family.
Currently, she lives with her music composer son Ganesh Ramanna and looks after her plants.
Image source: Wikipedia, IMDB, Telugu Wiki, edited on CanvaPro
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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