Karnataka Cabinet approves posthumous Karnataka Ratna for B. Sarojadevi and Dr. Vishnuvardhan

The Karnataka cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, today approved the state’s highest civilian honor, the Karnataka Ratna, to two legendary film personalities, late B. Sarojadevi and late Dr. Vishnuvardhan. Both awards will be conferred posthumously in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Kannada cinema.

Also read: Cinema industry mourns: Veteran actress B. Saroja Devi passes away, final rites today in hometown Channapatna

Karnataka Ratna conferred posthumously

Veteran actress B. Sarojadevi, hailed as the multilingual star for her work across five languages, passed away recently at her Malleshwaram residence in Bengaluru. Her last rites were performed in Dashavara village of Channapatna taluk. Following strong appeals from film industry stalwarts and audiences, the government has decided to honor her with the Karnataka Ratna.

Similarly, the cabinet cleared the award for Sahasasimha Dr. Vishnuvardhan, one of the most celebrated actors in Kannada cinema. His wife Bharathi Vishnuvardhan and son-in-law Aniruddha had earlier urged the Chief Minister to recognize his contribution, while prominent actresses including Tara, Shruti, and Malavika Avinash also petitioned the government.

The state had previously conferred the Karnataka Ratna posthumously on Power Star Puneeth Rajkumar. With today’s decision, Vishnuvardhan becomes the second film icon after Puneeth to receive this honor posthumously, while Sarojadevi joins the league as the only woman actor to be accorded this distinction.

The announcement has been widely welcomed by fans and the Kannada film fraternity, who had long advocated for these stalwarts to receive the state’s highest recognition.