Savitri Ganesan (born Nissankara Savitri; 6 December 1935 – 26 December 1981) was an Indian actress, playback singer, dancer, director, and producer known for her works primarily in Telugu and Tamil cinema. She had also worked in Kannada, Hindi and Malayalam films. She starred in more than 250 films over three decades. She was one of the highest-paid and most popular Indian actresses of the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s. She is known by the epithets Mahanati (transl. The great actress) and Nadigaiyar Thilagam (transl. Doyen of all the actresses).[1]
Nissankara Savitri was born on 6 December 1935[a] in a Telugu-speaking family in Chirravuru, Guntur district of present-day Andhra Pradesh.[9][10] Her father was Nissankara Guravayya and her mother was Nissankara Subhadramma.[9] 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 Venkataramayya Chowdary, enrolled her in classes when she began to show a talent for dance.[1][9]
She was named for the expression of her eyes during dramas. She participated in many dramas, in one where she was rewarded with a garland by the famous actor Prithviraj Kapoor. She, along with her Uncle, went to the Vijaya Vauhini studio in Chennai to enroll Savitri as a character in a movie, though they refused to do so. Not giving up, they tried once again, in another cinema, where she managed to get a role, but could not stand it as she hesitated in reciting dialogues because she was in awe when talking to the hero.
It was then that she met Ramaswamy Ganesan, also known as Gemini Ganesan, who took pictures of Savitri and instructed the duo that they come after two months. Defeated, Savitri went back to her village and continued playing dramas. On one specific day a man came to their home and asked Savitri to play a role for his cinema. Savitri's career thus began. 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[citation needed].
Savitri acted in dance dramas as a child, including some work with a theatre company run by Jaggayya. She made an unsuccessful speculative trip to find film work in Madras at the age of 14 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 the second heroine in Pelli Chesi Choodu. She, later on, propelled to stardom with critically acclaimed roles in blockbusters such as Devadasu and Missamma.[1]
Director PC Reddy who directed Savitri says, “there is none who can equal her beauty and talent. She didn’t heed anyone’s advice and got married very early. I remember she was so addicted to drinking even on the sets; she threw up on my shirt during a shoot. The next day she got a brand new shirt for me. She was a generous woman.” Savitri also worked in Bollywood films, although she did not find much success.[1] Her only Malayalam film was Chuzhi (1973).[12]
Her performance in the 1957 film Mayabazaar skyrocketed her to stardom. She later went on to become the highest-paid and most sought-after South-Indian actress of her generation. Savitri was known for her hospitality, philanthropic gestures, and love of buying property and jewelry, but she kept little control of her spending. Ganesan continued to philander and she was susceptible to favoring hangers-on with her largesse. In 1960, she received the Rashtrapati Award which later became "National Award for the Best Actress" 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). Her career took a downturn in the late 1960s. Her properties were seized by tax officials in the 1970s and she turned to act in any film in her later years, while sycophants encouraged her to direct and produce films that were unsuccessful and financially draining. Among her few supporters during her financial troubles were 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.[13]
^ abSavitri's birth date is misrecorded at many places as 4 January 1936. VR Murthy and V Shobaraju in their book A Legendary Actress: Mahanati Savitri have determined the exact birth date as 6 December 1935 after an extensive research.[9]
References
^ abcdefKalyanam, Rajesshwari (22 December 2013). "Drama In Real Life". The Hans India. Retrieved 23 March 2018.
^"Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
^Devipriya (January 1999). (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.
^. in.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018.
^ abcdPremchand, V. K. (25 December 2016). "మసకబారని మహానటి". Sakshi (in Telugu). Retrieved 6 December 2020.
^"On her birth anniversary, remembering late legendary actress Savitri through her journey in the showbiz". The Times of India. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
^. The Hindu. Chennai, India. 15 August 2003. Archived from the original on 29 September 2003. Retrieved 11 July 2011.
^Vijayakumar, B. (12 October 2014). "Chuzhi: 1973". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
^Chowdhary, Y. Sunita (3 May 2018). "Savitri: a legend like none other". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
^Adivi, Sashidhar (26 April 2017). "I never watched amma's films: Vijaya Chamundeswari". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
^ abcdefg"On her birth anniversary, remembering late legendary actress Savitri through her journey in the showbiz". The Times of India. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
^"Stamp depicting Savtri issued by the Government". Govt postage stamps.
External links
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savitri, actress, savitri, ganesan, born, nissankara, savitri, december, 1935, december, 1981, indian, actress, playback, singer, dancer, director, producer, known, works, primarily, telugu, tamil, cinema, also, worked, kannada, hindi, malayalam, films, starre. Savitri Ganesan born Nissankara Savitri 6 December 1935 26 December 1981 was an Indian actress playback singer dancer director and producer known for her works primarily in Telugu and Tamil cinema She had also worked in Kannada Hindi and Malayalam films She starred in more than 250 films over three decades She was one of the highest paid and most popular Indian actresses of the 1950s 60s and early 70s She is known by the epithets Mahanati transl The great actress and Nadigaiyar Thilagam transl Doyen of all the actresses 1 SavitriSavitri November 1951BornNissankara Savitri 1935 12 06 6 December 1935 a Chiravuru Village Gunturu district Madras Presidency British India present day Chiravuru Village Tadepalle mandalam Gunturu district Andhra India Died26 December 1981 1981 12 26 aged 46 Madras Tamil Nadu IndiaOther namesMahanati Savitri Nadigaiyar ThilagamOccupation s Actress singer and directorSpouseGemini Ganesan m 1952 wbr Children2AwardsRashtrapati AwardNandi AwardKalaimamaniSavitri s first significant role was in the 1952 Telugu Tamil bilingual film Pelli Chesi Choodu which simultaneously made in Tamil as Kalyanam Panni Paar She has starred in successful ventures such as Devadasu 1953 which received special mentions at India International Film Festival 2 3 4 Donga Ramudu 1955 Mayabazar 1957 and Nartanasala 1963 featured at the Afro Asian film festival in Jakarta 5 She 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 was also noted for her kindness charity and generosity towards the poor 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 won the Equality in Cinema Award at the 2018 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 8 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Death 4 Awards 5 Popular culture 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksEarly life EditNissankara Savitri was born on 6 December 1935 a in a Telugu speaking family in Chirravuru Guntur district of present day Andhra Pradesh 9 10 Her father was Nissankara Guravayya and her mother was Nissankara Subhadramma 9 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 Venkataramayya Chowdary enrolled her in classes when she began to show a talent for dance 1 9 She was named for the expression of her eyes during dramas She participated in many dramas in one where she was rewarded with a garland by the famous actor Prithviraj Kapoor She along with her Uncle went to the Vijaya Vauhini studio in Chennai to enroll Savitri as a character in a movie though they refused to do so Not giving up they tried once again in another cinema where she managed to get a role but could not stand it as she hesitated in reciting dialogues because she was in awe when talking to the hero It was then that she met Ramaswamy Ganesan also known as Gemini Ganesan who took pictures of Savitri and instructed the duo that they come after two months Defeated Savitri went back to her village and continued playing dramas On one specific day a man came to their home and asked Savitri to play a role for his cinema Savitri s career thus began 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 citation needed Career EditMain 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 Jaggayya She made an unsuccessful speculative trip to find film work in Madras at the age of 14 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 the second heroine in Pelli Chesi Choodu She later on propelled to stardom with critically acclaimed roles in blockbusters such as Devadasu and Missamma 1 Director PC Reddy who directed Savitri says there is none who can equal her beauty and talent She didn t heed anyone s advice and got married very early I remember she was so addicted to drinking even on the sets she threw up on my shirt during a shoot The next day she got a brand new shirt for me She was a generous woman Savitri also worked in Bollywood films although she did not find much success 1 Her only Malayalam film was Chuzhi 1973 12 Her performance in the 1957 film Mayabazaar skyrocketed her to stardom She later went on to become the highest paid and most sought after South Indian actress of her generation Savitri was known for her hospitality philanthropic gestures and love of buying property and jewelry but she kept little control of her spending Ganesan continued to philander and she was susceptible to favoring hangers on with her largesse In 1960 she received the Rashtrapati Award which later became National Award for the Best Actress 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 Her career took a downturn in the late 1960s Her properties were seized by tax officials in the 1970s and she turned to act in any film in her later years while sycophants encouraged her to direct and produce films that were unsuccessful and financially draining Among her few supporters during her financial troubles were 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 13 Savitri was also one of the top Tamil actresses of her era She acted with major stalwarts such as M G R Sivaji Ganesan and her husband Gemini Ganesan mostly with the latter 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 EditSavitri died on 26 December 1981 at the age of 46 after being in a coma for 19 months She had developed diabetes and high blood pressure 1 14 Awards EditFilmfare Awards SouthBest Actress Telugu Devadasu 1953 15 Best Actress Telugu Mayabazar 1957 15 Best Actress Telugu Chivaraku Migiledi 1960 15 Best Actress Telugu Aradhana 1962 15 Best Actress Telugu Maro Prapancham 1970 15 Rashtrapati AwardChivaraku Migiledi 1960 15 Nandi AwardsBest Feature Film Chinnari Papalu 1968 15 Popular culture EditIn 2011 The Government of India issued a postage stamp in commemoration of Savitri 16 Savitri s biopic titled Mahanati starring Keerthy Suresh as Savitri and Dulquer Salmaan as Gemini Ganesan was released in 2018 Notes Edit a b Savitri s birth date is misrecorded at many places as 4 January 1936 VR Murthy and V Shobaraju in their book A Legendary Actress Mahanati Savitri have determined the exact birth date as 6 December 1935 after an extensive research 9 References Edit a b c d e f Kalyanam Rajesshwari 22 December 2013 Drama In Real Life The Hans India Retrieved 23 March 2018 Directorate Of Film Festivals Archived from the original on 28 May 2015 4th National Film Awards PDF Directorate of Film Festivals Retrieved 2 September 2011 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 100 Years of Indian Cinema The 100 land mark Indian films of all time Movies News Photos IBNLive Directorate of Film Festival PDF Iffi nic in Retrieved 25 August 2012 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 Mahanati 100 glorious days of an undisputed classic in com Archived from the original on 8 November 2018 a b c d Premchand V K 25 December 2016 మసకబ రన మహ నట Sakshi in Telugu Retrieved 6 December 2020 On her birth anniversary remembering late legendary actress Savitri through her journey in the showbiz The Times of India 6 December 2019 Retrieved 12 October 2020 Star and a versatile actor The Hindu Chennai India 15 August 2003 Archived from the original on 29 September 2003 Retrieved 11 July 2011 Vijayakumar B 12 October 2014 Chuzhi 1973 The Hindu Retrieved 1 March 2018 Chowdhary Y Sunita 3 May 2018 Savitri a legend like none other The Hindu Retrieved 8 January 2021 Adivi Sashidhar 26 April 2017 I never watched amma s films Vijaya Chamundeswari Deccan Chronicle Retrieved 1 March 2018 a b c d e f g On her birth anniversary remembering late legendary actress Savitri through her journey in the showbiz The Times of India 6 December 2019 Retrieved 31 July 2021 Stamp depicting Savtri issued by the Government Govt postage stamps External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Savitri actress Savitri at IMDb Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Savitri actress amp oldid 1131904270, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
