Mahanati

In 1942, the widowed Subadrama and her daughter Savitri are taken in by Subadrama's sister, Durgamba, in Vijayawada. Savitri is uprooted from her old life and must adjust to a new household and family dynamics. This early displacement seeds her resilience and ambition that shape her later years.

Savitri grows into a talented dancer and works in plays that support her family, even as cinema begins to overshadow live theatre. She navigates the changing entertainment landscape while catching the eye of Gemini Ganesan, a studio photographer who helps her enter the casting world. This period marks the start of her cinematic journey.

A year after her move, Savitri is briefly cast in a L. V. Prasad film but messes up the dialogue and is dropped. She soon lands a dancing role in Pathala Bhairavi, which proves pivotal for her career and visibility. The film sets the stage for bigger opportunities.

Savitri rises to superstardom and is taught Tamil by Ganesan, who has become an actor. The two fall in love and secretly marry despite opposition from Savitri's family. Their union deepens her on-screen success but sows personal tensions.

Savitri and Ganesan become iconic stars, and she gives birth to two children. Jealousy and ego enter their relationship as his insecurities surface and alcohol becomes a shared vice. Savitri's career continues to flourish even as their personal life frays.

A group of colleagues urges Savitri to direct and star in an all-women film, signaling her emerging control over productions. The proposal reflects her growing leadership in a male-dominated industry. She weighs creative autonomy against traditional expectations.

On the day of another film's release, Savitri discovers Ganesan with another woman in their guesthouse. Feeling betrayed, she parts ways with him and begins to redefine her personal life and independence. The revelation marks a turning point in both their careers and their relationship.

Savitri slips into alcoholism, gains weight, and endures the death of her mother. Financial misfortunes follow as an Income Tax raid strips away much of her wealth. The combination of personal loss and financial strain accelerates her decline.

Chowdary visits and Savitri seeks forgiveness, arranging her daughter's marriage and moving to a smaller home with her son. She starts saving money to open a rehabilitation centre, aiming to rebuild her life and help others. A more grounded, if fragile, future begins to emerge.

She travels to Bangalore with her son, refuses to surrender to debt collectors, and tries to contact Ganesan. After a relapse into drinking, she collapses and falls into a coma, changing the course of the remaining years of her life.

Madhuravani, the stuttering journalist, realizes her love for photographer Anthony through Savitri's memoir and decides to pursue the connection. She interrupts what she believes is his engagement and discovers that it is his sister's engagement and that Anthony loves her back. The memoir-writing process ties Madhuravani's fate to Savitri's legacy.

Madhuravani finishes Savitri's memoir and visits the comatose star. Savitri dies in December 1981, closing the chapter on a life lived in the glare of cinema and public memory. Her passing cements the personal tragedy behind a celebrated career.

In the film's final twist, Shankarayya is revealed to be a statue that Savitri believes represents her father. The symbol closes the mystery surrounding her father and reframes her life story as a quest for familial connection. The ending ties Savitri's past to the present through memory and myth.