Vijaya Chamundeswari, the daughter of Savithri and Gemini Ganesan, revealed that she did not see too many of her mother’s films because they feature Savithri crying. She spoke to DC in the context of Mahanati, the biopic on Savithri’s life, currently in production.
Vijaya said, “I could see in her (Savithri) a typical middle class mother. She never gave a feeling that she was a star. She would do all the work a typical Indian woman does. I gave inputs to director Nag Ashwin about the actual and cheerful side of her — like how she used to spend time at home, her mannerisms, lifestyle, etc., which outsiders don’t know.
I never saw her films because she used to weep in most of them. I was very disturbed and did not have any inclination towards watching films. However, it was only after she passed away, that I started understanding her artistic brilliance.”
She further said that while early on, her mother’s relationship with father Gemini Ganesan was cordial, things began to change later on. “Amma, however, did not know how to handle her troubles. She wasn’t clever to deal with the situation. She was innocent and it affected her very badly. Also, she never had any proper guidance,” she said.
Speaking about the film Mahanati, Vijaya was glad that Savithri and her films still have resonance. She said, “I felt very nice when they initially approached me for Amma’s biopic. I was pleased to see Gen Next reminiscing (about) Amma and exploring more about her. I found Nag Ashwin to be very genuine and modest. I felt his attitude, approach and philosophy towards life was genuine.”
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Since it is a biopic, I was skeptical. I was cautious, and gave him the permission only on two conditions — first, I wanted to see the script before it goes on floors; second, to highlight Savithri’s rise to stardom.”
Mahanati is a biopic on Savithri, named after the honorary title given to the legendary actress. The film is directed by Nag Ashwin. Samantha Ruth Prabhu plays a pivotal role in the film, and the story will be narrated through her perspective while Keerthy Suresh plays Savitri. Dulquer Salman will play Gemini Ganesan.
Pic of Vijaya Chamundeshwar: Deccan Chronicle