Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan as Savitri and Gemini
Mahanati, the biopic of late South Indian star Savitri is going to be one of the biggest hits of this year judging by the fan reaction and meticulous care the producers have taken to bring to the silver screen the tumultuous love saga of the actress who ruled the southern cinema from 50s to the 70s.
Savitri was also known as a playback singer, dancer, director, producer and appeared in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi language films.
Married at the age of 16 to Gemini Ganeshan who was known as Kathal Mannan (King of Romance) and living a life befitting his screen monicker, Savitri was troubled by his many marriages, mistresses, and her financial ruin and died at the age of 45 after being in a coma for 19 months. She had been an alcoholic for many years, having begun drinking heavily in 1969 after losing her wealth in unprofitable film ventures in addition to other personal woes.
In the bilingual biopic, titled Mahanati in Telugu and Nadigaiyar Thilagam in Tamil, the main character of Savitri is played by Keerthy Suresh, a daughter of a Malayali producer and an actress, while the lead role of Gemini is played by talented Dulquer Salmaan, son of Kerala superstar Mammootty.
Growing up among tea estates in upcountry Balangoda in Sri Lanka, our main source of entertainment in school days was Tamil films made in the era dominanted by the triumvirate: M.G. Ramachandran (Makkal Thilakham), Shivaji Ganeshan (Nadigar Thilkam) and Gemini Ganeshan (Kathal Mannan). We lapped up every juicy gossip of their private lives, translated from the Kumutham magazine by our Indian Tamil friends. The one who led the most scandalous life among the trio was late Gemini.
Gemini who was already married tied the knot with Savitri in 1952 after meeting her in 1948 while also being involved in an affair with actress Pushpavalli, the mother of leading Bollywood star Rekha. He later acknowledged that he had two daughters with Pushpavalli while married to Savitri. Much later in October 1998, the then 78-year old Gemini married Juliana, 36. After the marriage Gemini told the media: “If Nelson Mandela can marry at 82, why not I?”
One of Gemini’s most popular films I still remember is ‘Then Nilavu’ (Honey Moon) which ran houseful for weeks. It was the first Tamil film to be shot extensively in Jammu and Kashmir becoming a great box office success. Vyjayanthimala, another southern actress to make it to the Bollywood, played the lead. Gemini and Savitri too acted in many films together.
Dulquer made his acting debut in the 2012 action drama Second Show, for which he received the Filmfare Award for Best Male Debut and received his first Filmfare Award for Best Actor nomination for his performance in Ustad Hotel (2012).
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachan has said Savitri was one of the first actresses with unbelievable spontaneity while late Meena Kumari had commented that when she watched Savitri’s acting, “I usually get doubts about my own acting. Her strikingly expressive eyes, a pair of tantalizing lips, and her superb sense of timing made her as one of the greatest actresses”. Savitri’s successful Tamil work includes Kalathur Kannamma, Pasamalar, Pava Mannippu, Karpagam, Kai Koduttha Dheivam, Navarathri and Thiruvilaiyadal.
The 51-second teaser of Mahanati has created a massive fan buzz with 6 million hits in a matter of weeks. The film will be released tomorrow (8 of May). – SM
