B Saroja Devi and Vishnuvardhan.
Soon after legendary actors Vishnuvardhan and B. Saroja Devi were posthumously conferred the Karnataka Ratna, fans were upset with the Karnataka government over the “delayed recognition” of gifted artists from the film industry.
The general consensus, as summed up from posts on social media, is that the award — the highest civilian honour of Karnataka — was long overdue for these actors who have contributed immensely to the industry.
“Vishnuvardhan is one of the main pillars of the Kannada film industry,” film-maker Dinesh Baboo told The Hindu about the veteran actor who starred in over 220 movies since his debut in 1972. The actor passed away at the age of 59 in 2009.
Saroja Devi, known as the female superstar of Kannada cinema, passed away in July this year. Inspiring generations with her talent and grace, she acted in over 200 films across languages during her six-decade career.
“Rewarding someone posthumously isn’t the right way to treat our artists,” pointed out National Award-winning filmmaker P. Sheshadri. Seasoned filmmaker Rajendra Singh Babu echoed Sheshadri’s opinion. “Posthumous awards act as a welcome relief to fans and family of the awardees. However, for the decades of efforts put in by the actors or technicians, it’s better that they are awarded during their lifetime,” he said.
Talented artists are put in a situation where they end up asking for an award, said Sheshadri.
Instituted in 1992, the award is for honouring a person’s extraordinary contribution to a particular field. While Jnanpith Award-winning poet Kuvempu was the first recipient, superstar Puneeth Rajkumar, who passed away at the age of 45 due to a cardiac arrest, was the last person to be conferred in 2022.
Senior filmmakers feel the process of choosing candidates for the Karnataka Ratna should be streamlined. “It’s not clear if the award is given for the experience of a person or for his contribution to the field,” Sheshadri reasoned, adding that producers such as N. Veeraswamy and Dwarakish are worthy of being honoured with the award.
ALSO READ: Karnataka bids farewell to Vishnuvardhan
Rajendra Singh Babu said that Karnataka Ratna should follow the Dadasaheb Phalke Award model. “The Karnataka Ratna should be given every year, like Dadasaheb Phalke. That way, the government can maintain consistency.”
Actor-filmmaker T.S. Nagabharana, who has served as a committee member for the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, also felt the Phalke model must be tried in Karnataka.
“A panel to finalise the candidate will be a good option,” he said, adding that the State must look beyond the field of art to recognise talented personalities. “People from literature and science have made Karnataka proud,” said Mr. Nagabharana. As for films and theatre, he said it’s high time well-known figures such as Hunsur Krishnamurthy, G.V. Iyer, and actor-producer Jayanthi received the recognition.
Published – September 13, 2025 10:37 pm IST
