The biopic on legendary south Indian actor, late Savithri, won three national awards. Mahanati, a bilingual made in Telugu and Tamil, directed by Nag Ashwin, won awards in the best movie, best actress and best costumes category.
Keerthy Suresh played the role of Savithri in the movie which had an ensemble cast, including Dulquer Salmaan, Samantha and Vijay Deverakonda.
Talking to THE WEEK, Ashwin said though Savithri was a great actor, national fame eluded her. “I think Keerthy got it for her,” he said, reminding that Savithri had never won a national award. “It feels great. It is good that our work has been appreciated. This will help us make better movies,” he added.
Why did the movie trump the rest of the regional and Hindi films? “I think the movie had a soul. The emotion stayed on with those who watched the movie,” the director said.
He also had words of appreciation for his team which worked on the costumes. “We did a crazy amount of research in terms of authenticity. The costumes had to fit in the time period between 1940s and 1980s. The progression of fashion had to be shown. We had a great team which worked a lot on detailing.”
Ashwin said the award will also encourage those who would like to bring great stories alive on screen.
Keerthy Suresh, meanwhile, is “shocked and surprised” at the recognition bestowed on her by the government. “I have always dreamt of winning this award. But this was unexpected. I can say that this award is a blessing from Savithri.”
As soon as the awards were announced, Savithri’s daughter, Vijaya Chamundeswari, called up Keerthy and congratulated her.
Keerthy said this award is special to her for one more reason. “My mom came very close to winning a national award. I won the same award and made her proud.”