India, July 14 -- Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah extended heartfelt condolences after the demise of legendary actress B Saroja Devi, calling her passing a "great loss to Indian cinema."

The veteran actor, fondly known as Abhinaya Saraswati for her expressive acting, passed away at her residence in Malleswaram, Bengaluru on Monday. She was 87.

"The news of the death of veteran Kannada actress B Saroja Devi is painful. She acted in about 200 Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and Kannada films and was known as Abhinaya Saraswati," Siddaramaiah wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Reflecting on her legacy, he added, "When we think of Saroja Devi, her soulful performances in films like Kittur Chennamma, Babruvahana, and Anna Thangi come to m...