Actor and director · Telugu cinema
Savitri
Savitri movies: 81 Telugu films on file (81 as actor, 2 as director), 1950–1980. Earliest on file: Samsaram (1950). Latest release: Prema Tarangalu (24 October 1980).
- Films on file
- 81 (81 as actor, 2 as director)
- Years on file
- 1950–1980
- Selected films on file
- Mayabazar, Devadasu, Jaganmohini
- Record
- Q3418119 on Wikidata
Savitri (Nissankara Savitri, also known as Savitri Ganesan) was an Indian actress and filmmaker who worked mainly in Telugu and Tamil films and is regarded as one of the greatest actresses in Indian cinema. Known as “Mahanati” in Telugu and “Nadigaiyar Thilagam” in Tamil, she appeared in more than 250 films over three decades, including Devadasu (1953), Missamma (1955), Mayabazar (1957) and Gundamma Katha (1962). Her life was told in the film Mahanati (2018).
Wikipedia says she was born on 6 December 1934 in Chirravuru, Guntur district, citing Sakshi. Wikidata lists two other years, 6 December 1935 and 6 December 1937, so the birth year differs between sources. Her father died when she was six months old, and she was raised by her mother with an aunt and uncle, who enrolled her in dance classes. She died on 26 December 1981.
Career
She acted in dance dramas as a child, including with a theatre company run by Jaggayya. In 1949 she was turned down for Agni Pariksha for looking too young, and in Samsaram (1950) she was replaced in the lead and given a minor role instead. Her first significant role was in Pelli Chesi Choodu (1952).
She became a star as Parvati in Devadasu, opposite Akkineni Nageswara Rao, with whom she made more than 30 films, and as Miss Mary in Missamma. As Sasirekha in Mayabazar her mimicry of S. V. Ranga Rao made her a household name, and she became the highest-paid South Indian actress of her generation. Her other Telugu successes include Ardhangi and Donga Ramudu (1955), Thodi Kodallu (1957), Mangalya Balam (1959), Aradhana and Gundamma Katha (1962), Nartanasala (1963), Doctor Chakravarty and Mooga Manasulu (1964), Sumangali and Devatha (1965). Our records also list her in Patala Bhairavi (1951).
In Tamil she starred with M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan, in films such as Kalathur Kannamma (1959), Pasamalar (1961), Karnan (1963) and Navarathri (1964). She directed films in Telugu and Tamil, including Matru Devata (1969), and also appeared in Hindi and Malayalam films. Her career declined from the late 1960s; Dasari Narayana Rao cast her in films such as Gorintaku (1979) and made Devadasu Malli Puttadu (1978) for her.
Awards and honours
- “A Moon Among Stars” honour at the 30th International Film Festival of India in 1999 (Directorate of Film Festivals).
Personal life
She married the Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan in 1952, according to Wikipedia, citing The Hans India. They had a daughter and a son.
Sources: Wikipedia and the references it cites (linked above), Wikidata, and Tollywood Desk’s film records.
Career on file
Savitri has 81 Telugu films on file at Tollywood Desk, dated from 1950 to 1980: 81 films as actor and two films as director. The earliest of them is Samsaram (1950), and the most recent release is Prema Tarangalu (1980). The most widely covered of these, counted by Wikipedia language editions, are Mayabazar (1957), Devadasu (1953) and Jaganmohini (1978). Other recent releases on file are Circus Ramudu (1980), Gorintaku (1979) and Punadhirallu (1979).
N. T. Rama Rao is the most frequent co-star, sharing 39 films with Savitri, followed by Akkineni Nageswara Rao (32) and Gummadi Venkateswara Rao (27). Among directors, Adurthi Subba Rao cast Savitri most often, in ten films; next are P. Pullaiah (6) and Dasari Narayana Rao (5). Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao and K. V. Mahadevan each scored 13 of them, more than any other music director; next are S. Rajeswara Rao (12) and Master Venu (5). Vijaya Vauhini Studios produced five of them, more than any other banner on file. Across these films the credits on file name 38 different directors, 26 music directors and 87 other credited actors.
Runtime is on file for 61 of them; they average 164 minutes, and the longest is Samsaram at 219 minutes. By decade the list splits into 1950s (26), 1960s (40), 1970s (13) and 1980s (2).
Figures come from the films on file at Tollywood Desk and change as records are added.