Mahanati
Introduction
Mahanati is a 2018 Indian Telugu-language biographical drama film. The film was released in cinemas on 8th May 2018 while the digital rights were acquired by Amazon Prime Video. It is written and directed by Nag Ashwin. The film is produced by C. Ashwini Dutt, Swapna Dutt, and Priyanka Dutt. It is based on the life of Indian actress Savitri, played by Keerthy Suresh. Dulquer Salmaan enacts the role of Gemini Ganesan. Other supporting cast members include Samantha Akkineni, Vijay Deverakonda, Shalini Pandey, Rajendra Prasad, Prakash Raj and Bhanupriya. Mohan Babu and Naga Chaitanya play guest appearances in the film.
Synopsis
The film follows life of the superstar actress Savitri. It depicts her turbulent rise to prominence and marriage with Ganesan. It also illustrates her subsequent fall from grace, which is viewed from the perspective of a journalist and a photographer, played by Samantha and Deverakonda, respectively.
Screenplay
From a film point of view, Mahanati is a visually and emotionally engaging biopic on the life of yesterday actress Savitri. It encompasses the life and career of the artiste in poetic style and reveals the bitter truth and irony behind a glamorous facade. The film shows two parallel love stories in a beautiful manner. One is between Keerty Suresh (Savitri) and Dulquer Salman (Gemini Ganesan). The other revolves around the adorable relationship between Samantha Akinneni and Vijay Deorakonda.
performances
Taking on the roles of such extraordinary actors is a huge challenge and the cast has done a tremendous job. Mahanati completely belongs to Keerthy Suresh. She is magnificent and has literally lived the role of superstar Savitri. This is method acting at it’s absolute best. Dulquer has raised the bar substantially with his performance as ‘Gemini Ganesan’. Performance was effortless and his debonair-ish charm shines through. Samantha’s innocence is adorable and Vijay’s role is quite the contrary to his famed role in Arjun Reddy (2017). Other supporting actors including Nag Chaitanya, Krish and Prakash Raj have been equally good.
Historical accuracy, Cinematography & Music
The authenticity to the time periods when the events take place is commendable. The fashion and automobiles in this movie makes one romanticize with the yesteryear. Cinematography is brilliant, the hues and tones make it look right out of the 80s. Music is engaging and also relevant to the times.
Conclusion
One of the best scenes from this film was how they recreated some of the scenes of the legendary film Mayabazar (1957) along with the other amazing scenes and songs of classic films from the 1950’s era. Although most of our elders have watched the artists shown in this film during their prime years, the director has ensured that even few generations later the relevance is intact.
Disclaimer: The above review solely illustrates the views of the writer.