Savitri (actress)

Savitri
Born
Savitri

(1934-12-06)6 December 1934
Chiravuru, Madras Presidency, British India
(present-day Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died26 December 1981(1981-12-26) (aged 47)
Madras, Tamil Nadu, India
Other namesMahanati Savitri
Nadigaiyar Thilagam
Occupations
Years active1950–1981
WorksFull list
Spouse
​
(m. 1952)​
Children2
AwardsKalaimamani

Nissankara Savitri (also known as Savitri Ganesan; 6 December 1934[a] – 26 December 1981) was an Indian actress and filmmaker who predominantly worked in Telugu and Tamil films. Widely regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she was popularly known by the epithets Mahanati (transl. The great actress) in Telugu and Nadigaiyar Thilagam (transl. Doyen of all the actresses) in Tamil. Savitri was among the highest-paid and most sought-after actresses in South Indian cinema during the 1950s and 1960s.

In a career spanning three decades, Savitri appeared in more than 250 films. Her first significant role was in the 1952 film Pelli Chesi Choodu. Later, she starred in several critically acclaimed and commercially successful films, including Devadasu (1953), Missamma (1955), Ardhangi (1955), Donga Ramudu (1955), Thodi Kodallu (1957), Mayabazar (1957), Mangalya Balam (1959), Aradhana (1962), Gundamma Katha (1962), Nartanasala (1963),[1] Doctor Chakravarty (1964), Sumangali (1965), and Devata (1965).[2]

Savitri was also known for her philanthropic work and generosity towards the poor. In recognition of her contributions to Indian cinema, she received the "A Moon Among Stars" honor at the 30th International Film Festival of India in 1999.[3] Her life and career were later depicted in the biographical film Mahanati (2018), which won the "Equality in Cinema Award" at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.[4]


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  1. ^ 100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 land mark Indian films of all time|Movies News Photos-IBNLive
  2. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ "Mahanati: 100 glorious days of an undisputed classic!". in.com. Archived from the original on 8 November 2018.