Agency report

Bangalore, Dec 8: Multilingual film artiste BSaroja Devi wants to dedicate the honourary doctorate degree that she would received from the Bangalore University in January to her late husband Harsha. According to her Harsha had encouraged her to continue in films and also had a strong influence on her.

He was a learned person, an Engineer by profession. He knew many things, while I was not so well educated. He would have been happy if he were alive today. I learnt many things from him. He looked at life positively and also had a helping nature. While I learnt discipline from my parents, it was Harsha who taught me to take life as it comes and look forward for positive developments’ she told a news portal.

B Saroja Devi is one of the recipients of the Honorary doctorate from the Bangalore University and this was announced on Monday. 'I heard this news of honourary doctorate when I was attending a wedding in Chennai. I did not believe it then and told myself what have I done to be bestowed with such an honour. But it was confirmed later and I am happy to be in the August company of such talented artistes like Raj Kumar and Vishnuvardhan’ said Saroja Devi.

"I made a humble beginning in Bangalore and it was my mother who nurtured my talents. Then with the grace of god I was able to climb the ladder to become one of the top actors of South. I was able to act in a few Hindi films also. But I can never forget my roots and I always carry great regards for the Kannada film industry’ said the veteran actress who was introduced by the late Honnappa Bhagavathar in “Mahakavi Kalidasa” as the heroine.

Saroja Devi has been awarded a Padma Shri award from the Union Government. She is the only South Indian actor to have headed the Jury of the National awards twice. She was also in the committee of the National Film Development Corporation.

Meanwhile, producer S V Babu has been making arrangements for producing his third film which will have Prem of Nenapirali and Jothe Jotheyalli fame as the hero. The film will be directed by Santhosh Kumar Pathaaje who had earlier directed 7 o Clock for M.N.Suresh. The film will be launched shortly. The music composition work and the script work is now getting ready. Prem will be ready to shoot this film once the shooting of Pallakki which is now in progress is finished. Meanwhile, Prem is reported to have signed big films with top producers.