Anushka Shetty might play veteran Telugu actress Jamuna in the bilingual film Mahanati, a biopic on late actress Savitri. According to the Hindustan Times, Anushka was approached for the role but has not yet issued a confirmation. Jamuna was said to be close to Savitri, and it is believed that Savitri had invited her to join films at the age of 14.
Prakash Raj has also been approached for a role in the film, with reports suggesting that he might play Gemini Ganesan – Savitri’s husband until her death.
Directed by Naga Ashwin, actress Keerthy Suresh will be playing Savitri, while Samantha Ruth Prabhu plays a journalist. Keerthy’s casting had come as a surprise, especially since earlier reports had suggested that actress Nithya Menen had been signed for the role. Keerthy’s popularity in Telugu and Tamil films was apparently one of the reasons why Nag Ashwin cast her as the lead heroine.
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Savitri is widely regarded as one of South Indian cinema’s finest actresses. She debuted in 1950 with the Telugu film Pelli Chesi Choodu and went on to act in over 40 films in Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Hindi. She won the Rashtrapati Award in 1960 for Chivaraku Migiledi. Savitri married actor Gemini Ganesan in 1952. In 1981, she succumbed to cancer at the age of 45.
The bilingual will focus on the important moments in the actresses’s life. The film’s shooting is likely to begin in June or July, and will have music by Mickey J Meyer.