Beautiful and elegant, the Kannada Actress has won the hearts of the audiences through her acting prowess. However the image of the Kannada actress has undergone a sea change with changing times. The glamour quotient has increased and with it the image of the Kannada actress has also changed. On the other hand Kannada actress, such as, Vijayashanti opened up completely new avenues for the Kannada actress.

One of the earliest talented Kannada actresses is Pandari Bai. Apart from Kannada films she has also appeared in Tamil and Telugu films. During 1950s and 60s she played the lead roles. In her later films she has also appeared in the role of a mother to stalwarts like Rajkumar and Shivaji Ganeshan.

Another prolific Kannada actress is Jayanthi. She was born as Kamala Kumari. Although she started her career with Tamil films but it was the Karnataka film industry that brought name and fame to her. Her earliest Kannada film was Jenu Goodu directed by Y R Swamy. She went on to be paired with Rajkumar and delivered some of the biggest hits. Jayanthi will always be remembered for appearing in bold films like Miss Leelavathi. This film fetched her the National Award.

B Saroja Devi`s debut film was Honappa Bhagavathar`s Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955). Her superb histrionic skills have enriched the Kannada film industry. Several awards have been bestowed upon her to recognise her contribution to the Indian cinema. She is the recipient of both Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.

Kalpana was a very popular Kannada actress too. She was known as `Minugu taare` (shining star). Her versatility brought her critical recognition and she appeared in films like Sharapanjara, Gejje Pooje, Belli moda, Eradu Kanasu, Kappu Bilupu and Bangarada hoovu. Kalpana dominated the Kannada film industry during the late 1960s and 1970s. Her most memorable films have been with the ace director Puttana Kanagal. She committed suicide in 1979.

While discussing about Kannada actresses it is not possible to leave out Malashri. Najundi Kalyana in 1989 was her debut film in Kannada. Here she played the role of a haughty woman to perfection. Her very first movie got rave reviews for the Kannada actress. Her other memorable films would be Gajapathi Garvabhanga, Policana Hendathi, Prathap, Kitturina Huli and Tavarumane Udugore. Malashri is one of the highest paid actresses in the Kannada film industry.

Prema is among the new crop of Kannada actresses. She has shared the silver screen with Kannada actors such as Shivrajkumar, Vishnuvardhan, Ravichandran, Upendra, Saikumar and Ramesh Aravind. She started off her career with Savyasachi in 1995. After that there was no looking back. Her blockbuster film Om brought her several awards. Prema is one of the prominent contemporary Kannada actresses.

Other Kannada actresses who have enamoured the audiences with their beauty and acting skills are Madhavi, Madhoo, Arundhati Nag, Pooja Gandhi, Khushboo Sundar, Shruthi, Saritha, Soundarya, Suman Nagarkar, Manya, Vijayashanti and others.