The cabinet also recommended to the Union Government that National Poet Kuvempu be conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously.
Published Sep 11, 2025 | 8:30 PM ⚊ Updated Sep 11, 2025 | 8:30 PM
Vishnuvardhan and B Saroja Devi. (X)
Actors Vishnuvardhan and B Saroja Devi to be conferred Karnataka Ratna posthumously.
The decision was taken in the state cabinet meeting, which was announced by Minister HK Patil.
The cabinet also recommended to the Union Government that National Poet Kuvempu be conferred the Bharat Ratna posthumously.
Sharing the news, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wrote on X: “The Cabinet meeting held today under my chairmanship has decided to honour the senior actor who entertained Kannadigas for many decades through his captivating performances in the Kannada film industry, the adventure lion Dr. Vishnuvardhan, and the acting Sharade B. Sarojad Devi, by conferring on them the posthumous Karnataka Ratna Award.”
ಕನ್ನಡ ಚಲನಚಿತ್ರ ರಂಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಲವು ದಶಕಗಳ ಕಾಲ ತಮ್ಮ ಮನೋಜ್ಞ ಅಭಿನಯದ ಮೂಲಕ ಕನ್ನಡಿಗರನ್ನು ರಂಜಿಸಿದ ಹಿರಿಯ ನಟ, ಸಾಹಸ ಸಿಂಹ ಡಾ.ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನ್ ಮತ್ತು ಅಭಿನಯ ಶಾರದೆ ಬಿ.ಸರೋಜಾದೇವಿ ಅವರಿಗೆ ಮರಣೋತ್ತರ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕ ರತ್ನ ಪ್ರಶಸ್ತಿ ನೀಡಿ ಗೌರವಿಸಲು ಇಂದು ನನ್ನ ಅಧ್ಯಕ್ಷತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಡೆದ ಸಚಿವ ಸಂಪುಟ ಸಭೆಯು ನಿರ್ಧರಿಸಿದೆ.… pic.twitter.com/cU37MaMRqg
— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) September 11, 2025
Saroja Devi passed away in July 2025. The south Indian actor had made her mark in all the four languages— Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam— with over 200 movies.
She is prominently known for her captivating performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, and Annathangi.
Saroja Devi also received numerous honours, including the Padma Shri in 1969 and the Padma Bhushan in 1992. She was also awarded an honorary doctorate by Bangalore University and the Kalaimamani award by the Tamil Nadu government.
Meanwhile, Vishnuvardhan, made his debut as a full-fledged lead actor in 1972 with the film Nagarahavu, directed by the veteran filmmaker Puttanna Kanagal. The film was a blockbuster, and Vishnuvardhan gained a massive fan following with his very first lead role.
Over the course of his career, he acted in around 220 films across Kannada, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Hindi languages. In recognition of his contributions to cinema, Vishnuvardhan was awarded an honorary doctorate by Bangalore University in 2005.
(Edited by Sumavarsha, with inputs from Nolan Patrick Pinto)
