Savitri (also known as Savitri Ganesan; 6 December 1934 – 26 December 1981) was an Indian actress, singer, and filmmaker known for her works primarily in Telugu and Tamil films. She was one of the highest-paid and most popular Indian actresses in the 1950s and '60s. She was one of the most accomplished and respected actresses of all time in South India. She is popularly known by the epithets Mahanati (transl. The great actress) in Telugu and Nadigaiyar Thilagam (transl. Doyen of all the actresses) in Tamil. In a career spanning three decades, Savitri starred in more than 250 films. Her first significant role was in the 1952 film Pelli Chesi Choodu. Later, she starred in successful and award winning films such as Devadasu (1953), Donga Ramudu (1955), Mayabazar (1957), and Nartanasala (1963), featured at the Afro-Asian Film Festival in Jakarta. She also starred in works such as Missamma (19... ()