Dulquer Salmaan to play Gemini Ganesan in Savitri biopic!

Malyalam film actor Dulquer Salmaan has been roped in to play late Tamil star Gemini Ganesan in the upcoming bilingual film Mahanati, which is a biopic on the legendary southern actress Savitri. The film will be directed by Nag Aswhin and will be made in Tamil and Telegu.

According to a source from the film unit who talked to IANS, "Dulquer has been finalised to play Gemini Ganesan in the film. The rest of the cast and crew are being finalised. The project will start rolling from June,”

The film will see actress Keerthy Suresh take on the role of the legendary south heroine Savitri and Samantha Ruth Prabhu will have a pivotal role in the movie and will serve as the perspective for the narration. 

While previously talking to the agency, Ashiwn said "There have been countless actresses over the last 80 years in Telugu cinema but none have earned the title of Mahanati, and even today it has solely been reserved for Savitri." talking about why he chose Savitri to make a biopic on. He also said “It’ll be a magnum opus period film set in the golden era. With massive set pieces, the film will be unlike anything we’ve explored in Indian cinema."

Savitri and Gemini Ganesan have been known to be one of Tamil cinema's finest on-screen pairs, known for their work together in films like Manam Pola Mangalyam, Missiamma, Prema Pasam, Konjum Salangai and Kalathur Kannamma, and had a toxic relationship off-screen as well, with the two getting married in 1954 till Savitri's death in 1981.