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| native_name =
| native_name =
| nationality = Indian
| nationality = Indian
| occupation = Actress
| known_for = Film acting, social activities
| other_names = Mahanati Savitri<br/> Nadigaiyar Thilagam
| other_names = Mahanati Savitri<br/> Nadigaiyar Thilagam
| birth_name = Nissankara Savitri
| birth_name = Nissankara Savitri
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| death_place = [[Chennai|Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| death_place = [[Chennai|Madras]], [[Tamil Nadu]], India
| spouse = {{marriage| [[Gemini Ganesan]] | 1952}}
| spouse = {{marriage| [[Gemini Ganesan]] | 1952}}
| children = 2 including Vijaya Chamundeshwari and Satheesh kumar
| awards = [[Rashtrapati Award]]<br>[[Nandi Award]]
| awards = [[Rashtrapati Award]]<br>[[Nandi Award]]
}}
}}

Revision as of 10:12, 20 August 2020

For other uses, see Savitri.

Savitri
Savitri in 1951
Born
Nissankara Savitri

(1936-12-06)6 December 1936[citation needed]
Chiravuru, Guntur district, Madras Presidency (present-day Andhra Pradesh), India[citation needed]
Died26 December 1981(1981-12-26) (aged 45)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
NationalityIndian
Other namesMahanati Savitri
Nadigaiyar Thilagam
OccupationActress
Known forFilm acting, social activities
Spouse
​
(m. 1952)​
Children2 including Vijaya Chamundeshwari and Satheesh kumar
AwardsRashtrapati Award
Nandi Award

Savitri Ganesan (born Nissankara Savitri) was an Indian film actress, playback singer, dancer, director and producer known for her works primarily in Telugu cinema and Tamil cinema. She is also known for her works in Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi films.

Savitri's first significant role was in the 1952 Telugu film Pelli Chesi Choodu. In 1960, she received the Rashtrapati Award for her performance in the Telugu film Chivaraku Migiledi. In 1968, she produced and directed the Telugu film Chinnari Papalu, for which she received the state Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Silver). She is often referred as "Mahanati!" and "Nadigaiyar Thilagam".[1]

Savitri was starred in enduring classics such as Pathala Bhairavi (1951), Devadasu (1953) which received special mentions at India International Film Festival,[2][3][4] Donga Ramudu (1955), Mayabazar (1957), and Nartanasala (1963), featured at Afro Asian film festival in Jakarta.[5] She was also starred in works such as Missamma (1955), Ardhangi (1955), Thodi Kodallu (1957), Mangalya Balam (1959), Aradhana (1962), Gundamma Katha (1962), Doctor Chakravarty (1964), Sumangali (1965), and Devata (1965).[6]

Savitri received "A Moon Among Stars" honor at the 30th International Film Festival of India, "Woman in Cinema" section in 1999.[7] The 2018 biographical film Mahanati based on the life of Savitri has garnered the "Equality in Cinema Award" at the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.[8]

Early life

Savitri was born on 6 December 1936[citation needed] into a Telugu speaking family in Chirravuru, Guntur district, Madras Presidency,[citation needed] now a part of Andhra Pradesh. Her father was Nissankara Guruvaiya and mother was Nissankara Subhadramma.[9][10] Her father died when she was six months old, after which her mother took Savitri and an older sibling, Maruti, to live with an aunt and uncle. Her uncle, Kommareddy Venkataramaiah Chowdary, enrolled her in classes when she began to show a talent for dance.[1]

Savitri married Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan in 1952, having first met him in 1948. The marriage led to a permanent rift with her uncle because Ganesan was already married, had four daughters and was involved in an affair with Pushpavalli.[1] Her marriage became public when she signed a photograph as Savitri Ganesh.[11] Ganesan later acknowledged that he had two daughters with Pushpavalli while married to Savitri, with whom he had a daughter and a son.[1]

Career

Main article: Savitri filmography
Savitri on a 2011 stamp of India

Savitri acted in dance dramas as a child, including some work with a theatre company run by Kongara Jaggaiah. She made an unsuccessful speculative trip to find film work in Madras at the age of 12, when she was deemed to be too young to play heroine roles, but in 1950 was cast as the female lead in Samsaram. That role did not become actuality because she became too excited, necessitating numerous retakes and eventually her replacement in the part. She was given a minor speaking role in the film and in the next year had two more minor roles, in Roopavati and Patala Bhairavi, before getting her big break as second heroine in Pelli Chesi Choodu.[1]

Savriti was known for her hospitality, philanthropic gestures, and her love of buying property and jewellery, but she kept little control of her spending. Ganesan continued to philander and she was susceptible to favouring hangers-on with her largesse. Her career took a downturn in the late 1960s. Her properties were seized by tax officials and she turned to acting in any film that would have her, while sycophants encouraged her to direct and produce films that were unsuccessful and financially draining. Among her few supporters during her financial difficulties was Dasari Narayana Rao, who cast her in most of his films, such as Gorintaku (1979), and specifically made Devadasu Malli Puttadu (1978) as a movie for her.[1] Her only Malayalam film was Chuzhi (1973).[12]

Her notable Tamil works include Kalathur Kannamma (1959), Pasamalar (1961), Pava Mannippu (1961), Paarthal Pasi Theerum (1962), Karpagam (1963), Karnan (1963), Kai Koduttha Dheivam, Navarathri (1964), and Thiruvilaiyadal (1965).

Death

Savitri died on 26 December 1981, at the age of 45, after being in a coma for 19 months. She had developed diabetes and high blood pressure.[1][13]

Legacy

A biopic was made about her life Mahanati in Telugu and Nadigaiyar Thilagam in Tamil starring Keerthy Suresh as Savitri and Dulquer Salmaan as Gemini ganesan.The Government of India issued a postage stamp in commemoration of Savitri.[14]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g Kalyanam, Rajesshwari (22 December 2013). "Drama In Real Life". The Hans India. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  2. ^ "::Directorate Of Film Festivals::". Archived from the original on 28 May 2015.
  3. ^ "4th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  4. ^ "33rd International Film Festival of India" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. 2002. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  5. ^ 100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 land mark Indian films of all time|Movies News Photos-IBNLive
  6. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  7. ^ Devipriya (January 1999). "Savitri: A Moon Among Stars" (PDF). 30th International Film Festival of India '99. Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 150. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 January 2013. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Mahanati: 100 glorious days of an undisputed classic! - in.com". in.com.
  9. ^ "Savitri family background". 20 May 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  10. ^ "Discussions on Savitri community". 15 May 2018. Retrieved 25 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Star and a versatile actor". Chennai, India: The Hindu. 15 August 2003. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
  12. ^ Vijayakumar, B. (12 October 2014). "Chuzhi: 1973". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  13. ^ Adivi, Sashidhar (26 April 2017). "I never watched amma's films: Vijaya Chamundeswari". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
  14. ^ "Stamp depicting Savtri issued by the Government". Govt postage stamps.
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