Birth Anniversary of legendary actress Savitri: 5 Fascinating Facts about the Demigoddess of Telugu cinema

If we’ve to pick out one actress who had left an everlasting impression in the hearts of Telugu people, it should definitely be Savitri Nissankara fondly known with the moniker ‘Mahanati’. In her short yet eventful journey, the legendary thespian has provided enough fodder for her biographers to carve a graph that rose, reached the zenith and plunged irrevocably. Considered as the demigoddess in the Southern territory, Savitri’s fame rose to peaks during a young age itself. Unfortunately, due to dramatic circumstances, the immensely talented artist left herself down and eventually faced a tragic death at the age of 45.

While the National Award-winning film ‘Mahanati’ showcased the rag-to-riches story of the yesteryear actress in an inspiring way, there were several questions and objections raised on the second half of the film, which can be termed as ‘riches-to-rag’. As we celebrate the birth anniversary of this Nata Siromani, Kalaimamani and Nadigayar Thilakam; check out some fascinating facts about her.

During her heydays in South cinema, Savitri was literally treated like a goddess by all filmmakers who wouldn’t hesitate to queue before her house to get her dates. Her salary/remuneration was almost equal to that of NTR, ANR and Sivaji Ganesan. To raise funds for the victims of 1977 Diviseema Cyclone, Senior NTR has put up the garland offered by his fans in auction. Much to everybody’s surprise, Savitri bought the garland for Rs 10K and proved her generosity when it comes to helping the people in need.

At just 6 years of age, Kamal Haasan forayed into cinema as a child artist in the Tamil film ‘Kalathur Kannamma’ starring Gemini Ganesan and Savitri. During an interview with Jaya Prada, Kamal remembered his Savitri ‘Amma’ by revealing that she has always lived life like a hero, and had that same dignity & self-esteem during highs and lows as well. The 65-year-old actor revealed that Savitri had a unique style when it came to driving a car and chewing paan.

Contradictory to her homely image in films like 'Gundamma Katha' and 'Raktha Sambandham', Savitri was a daring, dashing and aggressive lady in real life who wouldn’t think twice before taking a decision and standing firm on it. Besides being a sports enthusiast, she owns a great collection of vintage cars at her Chennai residence. She is very much fascinated towards high-end four-wheelers and had also won a few car-racing competitions in Old Madras.

During the time of her secret marriage with Gemini Ganesan, Savitri was very young and at her peaks of stardom. Apparently, she kept her wedding a secret and did not reveal to anyone. However, she mistakingly managed to expose the secret herself. While finalising an agreement with an international soap brand to be their brand ambassador, the actress signed the papers as Savitri Ganesan by mistake. This blew up the vessel and the news got public in no time.

Despite the never-ending argument about the veracity of content in Savitri’s dramatic life, Nag Ashwin’s incredible work of passion in ‘Mahanati’ doffs its hat to the legendary actress. Besides bagging critical acclaim and commercial reception, the successful biopic won three national awards in the best movie, best actress and best costumes category. Keerthy Suresh has breathed life into the titular character and perfectly imbibed her mannerisms. Besides bearing a striking resemblance to the late actress, she has got everything right from expressions, voice and emotions to screen-presence.