Karnataka Ratna award for Dr Vishnuvardhan, Saroja Devi

Mangalore Today News Network

Bengaluru, Oct 31, 2026: The prestigious Karnataka Ratna award will be conferred posthumously on veteran Kannada film actors Dr Vishnuvardhan and B. Saroja Devi on November 19, Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj S. Tangadagi announced on Friday.

Addressing a press conference, the minister said Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar would present the awards at a grand ceremony to be held in front of the iconic steps of Vidhana Soudha.

The state government is planning to invite superstar Rajinikanth to the ceremony, Tangadagi said, noting his close association with Vishnuvardhan.

"Rajinikanth shared a close bond with Dr Vishnuvardhan. We intend to invite him for the ceremony. We also plan to invite actresses Suhasini or Lakshmi, who acted in many films with Vishnuvardhan," the minister said.

B. Saroja Devi, popularly known as ’Abhinaya Saraswathi’, and Vishnuvardhan, fondly remembered as ’Sahasa Simha’, are among the most celebrated actors in Indian cinema. Both have made significant contributions to Kannada cinema and acted in numerous films across multiple film industries.