Savithri

SAVITHRI (6 December 1935 - 26 December 1981) ... The legendry name of all times in the southern film industry is still alive in the heart of her fans though she left the world forty three years ago.  She was one of the greatest actress ever donning the screen in the entire Indian film industry.

Born near Vijayawada she was brought up at his maternal uncle in Vijayawada. She acted in more than 260 films of Telugu, Tamil and Hindi and left this world in mid forties. Her innocence looks and charming face, still capitivates her fans even after forty years.

She was the main heroine for the films of NT Ramama Rao and Nagaeswara Rao in Telugu MGR and Sivaji Ganeshan in Tamil. She married another Tamil hero of those days Gemini Ganeshan though she knew that he was married already. Savitri was like a younger step mother to the Hindi actress Rekha, who is the daughter of Pushpavalli, first wife of Gemini Ganesahn.

She was honoured with ‘Nadigayar Tilakam’ (Great Actress) by the Tamil Nadu government and in Telugu she was used to call Maha Nati (great actress) by everybody. In 1960, she received the Rashtrapati Award for her performance in the Telugu film Chivaraku Migiledi.

It is a very surprising thing as she was not honoured with any Padma award by Union Government.

Her film career started with a superb dance for a song in ‘Patalabhairavi’ which made her talent exposed. Later she acted as second heroine in ‘Pellichecichudu’, after that she did not go back. The character in ‘Devadasu’ as Parvathi brought fame and name. Her roles in “Missamma” and “Gundammakatha”are memorable.

As “Draupadi” her action was superb in “Nartanasala”. She also produced some films and directed the film “Matrudevobhava”. She acted in few Hindi films. Unfortunately she was addicted to drinking liquor because of her personal problems and died in Coma.

This legendary actress will be remembered forever and will stay in the hearts of the film lovers.