మహానటి సావిత్రి

Savitri was born in Chirravur near Tenali in Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh, India to Guraviah and Subhadramma. She learned music and Indian classical dance under Sista Purnayya Sasthri. She performed stage shows during her childhood. She acted in 318 films in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi languages, with ten to twenty movies released per year.

She later directed some films. One day she went to meet the Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and donated all her jewelry she was wearing for the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. She also built a high school in Andhra. Her favorite sports were cricket and chess. She used to play chess at home. She claimed that her favorite sports person was Gary Sobers. She participated in many celebrity cricket matches.


Career
Early career
She gave some public performances as a child in Vijayawada. She worked in a theater company run by Nandamuri Taraka Ramarao. She also started her own company, the Navabharata Natya Mandali. Her best stage role was in Atma Vanchana written by Bucchi Babu.


Telugu career
Her first offer ‘Agni Pariksha’ at age twelve in 1949. However she looked too young after screen tests and was soon dropped. She was selected for main role in the film ‘Samsaram’ by the banner ‘Sadhana Chitra’ in 1950. However she was replaced by Pushpalatha and she was given small role, as she was nervous to act with popular actor Nageswara Rao. She performed a dance in Pathala Bhairavi in 1951. Her first main roles was as a second heroine Pelli Chesi Choodu by L. V. Prasad in 1952. Her early popular roles are in Ardhangi and Missamma.

She later acted in memorable Telugu films like Chandra Haram (1953), Devadasu (1953), Ardhangi (1955), Missamma(1955), Donga Ramudu (1955), Amara Deepam (1956), Todikodallu(1957), Mayabazaar (1957), Abhimanam(1958), Mangalya Balam(1958), Appu Chesi Pappu Kodu (1959), Muripinche muvvalu(1960), Sri Venkateswara Mahatyam (1960), Manchi Manasulu(1961), Aradhana (1962), Gundamma Katha (1962), Rakta Tilakam (1963), Mooga Manasulu (1963), Doctor Chakravarthi(1964), Poojaphalam (1964), Devatha(1965), Pandava Vanavasam (1965), Kanya Sulkam, Naadi Aada Janme, Prana Mitrulu (1967), Varakatnam (1968), Maro Prapancham (1970), Manase Mandiram(1971) and Jagan Mohini (1978). These movies are testimony to her versatile action skills. She got national award for the magnum opus movie Chivarakumigiledi.


Tamil career
Savitri was a legendary actress in Telugu and tamil film industries. She has paired opposite leading actors like Sivaji Ganesan, M.G.R in many films. She married Gemini Ganesh, while acting in ‘Manam Pola Mangalyam’(1953) with him. Savithri's 100th film ‘Konjum Salangai’ (‘Muripinche Muvvalu’ in Telugu) also happened to be paired with Gemini Ganeshan. She was fondly called 'Nadigaiyar Thilagam' in tamil film industry.

Kalathur Kannamma, Kai Kodutha Deivam, Thiruvilaiyadal, Navarathiri, Pasa Malar, Yaar Paiyyan, Paarthal pasi theerum, Padithal Mattum Podhuma, Karpagam, Karnan, Paava Mannippu and Saraswathi Sabatham are some of her memorable classics in tamil.


Bollywood career
She acted in few Hindi films like Bahut Din Huwe, Ghar Basake Dekho, Balaram Sri Krishna and Ganga Ki Lahren.


Director and Producer
She had directed films like ‘Chinnari Papalu’, ‘Chiranjeevi’, ‘Maathru Devatha’ and ‘Vintha Samsaram’ in Telugu. 'Kuzhanthai Ullam' and 'Praptham' in Tamil.


Personal life
Savitri married Gemini Ganesan in 1953 and was blessed with two children Vijaya Chamundeswari and Sathish Kumar. Savitri was a strict, disciplined and compassionate mother. Since there was no availability of televisions at that time, she arranged a 16mm projector to show her films to kids. She would watch all the Hollywood movies and analyze them in an amazing manner. She loved Sophia Loren and Shirley MacLaine.

Gemini Ganesan and Savitri made a hit pair on-screen. She married Gemini Ganesan, though he was already married to Alamelu Ganesan. fondly known as Kadhal Mannan (King of Romance), Gemini Ganesan also did marry Pushpavalli Ganesan, who mothered famous actress Rekha. Being groomed in strict family, Savitri is said to have been deeply affected due to Ganesan being attached to more than one woman. The two were secretly married in 1953 and she declared it publicly a good three years after the wedding happened. Her wedding was revealed when she signed in a photo for a Lux advertisement as Savithri Ganesh.


Awards
She got National Award for Best Actress in 1960 for her performance in the movie Chivaraku Migiledi.[citation needed] The movie was the Telugu remake of Deep Jele Jai (1959), a Bengali classic starring Suchitra Sen. The movie also got remade in Hindi later in 1969 as Khamoshi with Waheeda Rehman enacting the lead role.

She was crowned with title Nadigayar Thilakam (Greatest Actress) for her fine performances in tamil.

She was awarded with the title Kalaimamani by the Tamil Nadu State Government, Nati Siromani by the Andhra Yuvathi Mandali and with an apt title as Mahanati.