Contributed by Shilpa Kodimala..
Ever hear your grandparents or parents say “gone are those days when movies were magical in black and white when songs were therapeutic when the storylines were simple and actors were stars without stardom”? You even hear them complaining that the current generation is entirely out of sync with respect to the men and women who ruled the early years of Telugu cinema. There is no denying these facts, if you ever travel back in time watching an oldie, you would know what your elders meant. You would certainly end up thinking what if a particular movie is made in the current times, what if a particular actor played in current movies etc. And on those lines, we thought... what if there was a biopic made on the bygone era leading ladies. Here is a small token of love, just a thought on who should play them, if there will be a biopic made on them today.
1. Saavitri - Keerthy Suresh: No prizes for guessing the top queen that reigned the early years of Telugu cinema. Saavitri gaaru, waslike a dream. Her life had been so immense that it demands not one but a two-part movie. Part one can show her childhood and foray into movies and part two can show her rise as an actress and later stages of her life. Imagine guest appearances by Jr.NTR, Naga Chaitanya, Balakrishna and Nagarjuna as younger and older versions of NTR and ANR! The part is being played by Keerthy Suresh as officially announced by the "Mahanati" team.
2. Jamuna - Nithya Menen Next on the list is Jamuna guru, though the buzzis that jamuna gaaru is being played by Nithya Menen or Shalini Pandey it is yet to be confirmed by the Mahanati team. Jamuna garu had this ethereal aura around her. Actress of substance, Jamuna made the world go round during her hay days. Not many know that she was introduced to movie world by Saavitri herself.
3. Anjali Devi - Tamanna: Who can forget the ever serene Anjali Devi garu. She used to bring her trademark gentleness to any character she played. She was the Grace Kelly of Telugu cinema. We can only think of Tamanna playing Anjali Devi, given her onscreen and offscreen sweet and demure persona.
4. Bhanumati Devi - Anjali: Bhanumati garu had immense screen presence. Did we also mention she was a versatile woman. Not only did she act, she even sung songs for movies and composed music as well. The woman who can be befitting to play Bhanumati garu should be Anjali. Both are very talented women and have command on any character they play.
5. Krishna Kumari - Swati: Krishna Kumari was the princess of Telugu cinema. All her characters were simple, lovable yet had a strong impact on the viewer. She was like the kind of girl you’ll want to bring home to meet your parents. But unlucky for you, you were born 50-60 years late. We can recreate her magic by roping in Swati to play her.
6. B. Saroja - Samantha: If you can think of chirpy, vivacious heroine characters from old movies, we bet most of them must have been portrayed by B. Saroja garu. Her characters have this infectious energy in them, the viewer is immediately drawn into her world. Sam can easily play B.Saroja garu given her shared perkiness and effervescence.
7. Vaanisri - Nayanathara: Vaanisri Garu was a trailblazer for her generation. Women followed her styles and men went gaga over her. This kalabhinetri’s steep rise was not just over night. She worked very hard and diligent to make it to the top. Her strong attitude and stronger acting can only be leveled by Nayanatara from current generation. Nayantara already proved she is apt for portraying Vaanisri by acting in Boss.
8. Sarada - Ileana: This three time National award winning actress has portrayed some of strong female characters that Telugu cinema had given to its audience. Sarada garu ambitiously forayed into many women centric movies and excelled at those. This svelte and smart actress role can be donned by another svelte and smart actress, Ileana.
9. Vijaya Nirmala - Trisha: Vijaya Niramala garu not only has a special place in all our hearts but also in the Guinness Book of World Records for directing the highest movies by a woman filmmaker. This is a feat that should be remembered by not only her generation but the current generation and the generations yet to come. We think Trisha could easily get under the skin of Vijaya Nirmala garu.
10. Kanchana - Shriya Saran: This beautiful air hostess turned actress has ruled roost once upon a time. You can call her a beauty with brains. Her gorgeousness can easily be manifested by Shirya Saran.
11. Kannamba - Anushka Shetty: Last but not least we need to see Kannamba garu coming to life again. With a career spanning over 150 movies, she was one of the early pioneers of Telugu Cinema. The firmness in voice, the unfaltering expressions have won many accolades for her. A legendary actress can only be immortalized by a legend in the making, Anushka Shetty.
