Nadigaiyar Thilagam AKA Mahanati

                                           

                                                Nadigaiyar Thilagam AKA Mahanati

Quoting from the movie- “The world needs to know Savithrima not just the actress Savithri.”

Director Nag Ashwin, took the up the huge responsibility of the same and did an exemplary work. Mahanati will take you through Savitrima’s life so well that you will smile through tears. Honestly, I had zero idea about actress Savithri when I went to watch the movie and a day after the same I had read through every possible article written about her; it was shocking for me to realize Actress Rekha was Gemini Ganeshan’s daughter. That made me wonder, how well do we know the actors especially the female actors, beyond the characters they play on screen, the costumes they wore and the latest trend of following their Instagram? While we criticize, adore or contempt anyone in the limelight, do we have any idea of what they have gone through?

                                                       

Beyond being an amazing actor on screen, Savitri was an awe-inspiring human being, which the world hardly knew about. What started from dance dramas in her village to direction, actress Savithri’s career saw the ups and downs which eventually coupled with her personal life rifts, pushed her to the list of heroines whom we conveniently forget after they are forced to leave the field. Mahanati, showcases her life so perfectly that you can’t put the film in any one genre. The director did a great job of not making the movie, just a tragic life story or a time pass one-time watch but blended all shades of her life so well to create this work.

                                                                 

Mahanati’s backbone after the story is the casting. Keerthy Suresh did her career best role in the film and stood out beautifully in the whole movie as Savithri. From childish innocence to intensely emotional moments, she portrayed on screen with ease making it impossible to differentiate her from the original Savithri.

                                                        

Dulquer Salman as Gemini Ganeshan was a perfect choice too. He did his part so well that even with ideological differences to Ganeshan’s choices I loved that man through the movie. The part in which he fondly calls Savithri as “Ammadi” towards the end of the movie will touch your heart.

                                          

Vijay Devarakonda and Samantha Akkineni, did their part well too that I could actually tolerate and to be honest love their characters throughout the movie, for the first time. The rest of the crew, from child actress who played young Savithri to Prakash Raj, everyone did their roles perfectly that together the life of Savithri came alive realistically on screen.

                                                                    

Mahanati is a synopsis of Savitri’s life and also unfolds parts of evolution of Tamil and Telugu film industry. This is a history, true to the teaser tagline, worth being a part of. Don’t miss this one.

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