Mahanati
Mahanati () is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film based on the life of actress Savitri. It is written and directed by Nag Ashwin, and produced by Priyanka Dutt under Vyjayanthi Movies and Swapna Cinema. The film features Keerthy Suresh as Savitri while Dulquer Salmaan (in his Telugu debut) plays Savitri's husband Gemini Ganesan. The film also stars Samantha Akkineni and Vijay Deverakonda, along with Rajendra Prasad, Prakash Raj, and Bhanupriya who appear in supporting roles. Naga Chaitanya and Mohan Babu, among others, play guest appearances. The plot follows Savitri's life, depicting her turbulent rise to prominence, marriage with Ganesan, and subsequent fall from grace, which is viewed from the perspective of a journalist and a photographer, played by Samantha and Deverakonda respectively. Ashwin began working on the biopic of Savitri following the release of his directorial debut Yevade Subramanyam (2015). Its principal photography began in May 2017 and ended in March 2018 with filming taking place in Hyderabad, Palakollu, Bangalore, Chennai, Mysore, and Delhi. Dani Sanchez-Lopez performed the cinematography while Kotagiri Venkateswara Rao edited the film. The film features the score and soundtrack composed by Mickey J. Meyer. Mahanati is released theatrically on 9 May 2018 while its dubbed versions in Tamil released on 11 May 2018, with the title Nadigaiyar Thilagam () and in Malayalam on the same day as Mahanadi () Mahanati received critical acclaim for Keerthy's performance as Savitri and Ashwin's screenplay and direction. Budgeted at crore, the film grossed crore worldwide and became the highest-grossing female-centric South Indian film. The film won three awards at the 66th National Film Awards, namely, Best Feature Film in Telugu, Best Actress for Keerthy and Best Costume Design. The film also won four Filmfare Awards South including Best Film and Best Actress in Telugu category. Mahanati was screened at the International Film Festival of India, the Shanghai International Film Festival, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. Plot In 1980, Bangalore, a popular yesteryear actress Nissankara Savitri is found unconscious by her son. She is hospitalized, spending a year in a coma. The incident receives media attention but Savitri's initial life and whereabouts remain unknown to the public. Madhuravani, a stuttering journalist, and Vijay Anthony, a photographer, are appointed to write an article about her situation. Madhuravani recovers a letter written by Savitri, in which she wishes to take her son to someone called "Shankarayya." Though she is later relieved from writing the memoir by her editor, Madhuravani continues her research curiously. She sneaks into Savitri's house and overhears her aunt talking about her childhood. In 1942, Vijayawada, a widowed Subadrama and her daughter Nissankara Savitri are taken in by Subadrama's sister, Durgamba, and her husband, K.V. Chowdhary, much to the latter's chagrin. Savitri grows up to become an accomplished dancer and earns a profit for Chowdhary by acting in plays with her friend Susheela. The increasing popularity of cinema leads to less attendance for plays, and Chowdhary incurs huge losses. He tries to have Savitri join the