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{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Savithri
| image = Savithri 1941 film poster.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Film poster
| director = [[Y. V. Rao]]
| producer =
| writer =
| screenplay = T. C. Vadivelu Nayakar
| story =
| based_on = {{based on|[[Savitri and Satyavan]] a story from [[Mahabharata]]}}
| starring = [[Shanta Apte]]<br />[[M. S. Subbulakshmi]]<br />[[Y. V. Rao]]<br />V. A. Chellappa
| narrator =
| music = M. Rajagopala Sharma<br />Kamal Das Gupta
| cinematography = Yusuf Mulji
| editing = N. M. Shankar
| studio = [[New Theatres]] Studio
| distributor = Rayal Talkie Distributors of Madura
| released = {{film date|df=yes|1941|9|4}}
| runtime =
| country = India
| language = Tamil
| budget =
| gross =
}}
'''''Savithiri''''' is a 1941 Indian [[Tamil language|Tamil]]-language film directed by [[Y. V. Rao]]. The film featured himself as Satyavan and [[Shanta Apte]] as [[Savitri and Satyavan|Savitri]].<ref name="hindu">{{Cite news |last=Guy |first=Randor |author-link=Randor Guy |date=5 March 2010 |title=Savithiri (1941) |work=[[The Hindu]] |url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/savithiri-1941/article3020665.ece |access-date=7 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170307135901/http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-cinemaplus/savithiri-1941/article3020665.ece |archive-date=7 March 2017}}</ref>

== Plot ==
Savithiri is a beautiful and chaste princess. Princes in the neighbouring Kingdoms are intimidated by her beauty and purity and no one wants to marry her. Savithiri's father King [[Madra Kingdom#King Aswapati|Aswapati]] tells her to go out and find her own husband. She finds a young man, Sathyavan, who is the son of a blind king now living in the forest in exile. Savithiri brings the young man to her Kingdom. In the meantime, [[Narada]] tells Asvapati that Savithiri has made a bad choice because Sathyavan is destined to die in one year. However, Savithiri insists on marrying Sathyavan. The king finally agrees and they are married. Savithiri goes to live with her husband in the forest. She takes to a life of austerities. On the day Sathyavan is to die, she accompanies him into the forest to cut firewood. While he was cutting a tree, Sathyavan collapses. Yama comes and takes his soul. Savithiri follows Yama but Yama tells her not to follow him. But she insists and talks about Dharma with Yama. Finally, Yama is impressed by her talks and tells her to ask any boon except the life of Sathyavan. First she asks for eyesight to her father-in-law and the restoration of his Kingdom. Then she asks for an heir to her father's Kingdom and finally she asks for 100 children to herself. This places Yama in a dilemma. If she is to have 100 children, then Sathiyavan must live to give her those children. Fully impressed by this virtuous woman's arguments, Yama returns the life of Sathyawan.

== Cast ==
The list is adapted from the film titles (See External links)
{{Col-begin|width=60%}}
{{col-break|width=33%}}
;Male cast
*[[Y. V. Rao]] {{small|as}} Sathyavan
*V. A. Chellappa {{small|as}} Yamadarman
*[[K. Sarangapani]] {{small|as}} Sumali
*K. Doraisamy {{small|as}} Thyumathsenan
*P. Sundar Rao {{small|as}} Aswapathi
*[[T. S. Durairaj]] {{small|as}} Santhana Sharma
*Shripada Shankar {{small|as}} Minister
*M. R. Durairaj {{small|as}} Kadakethu
*P. S. Ramudu {{small|as}} Mannar Chetty
*Jaganatha Iyengar {{small|as}} Chitraguptan
*Sriramulu, Anandan {{small|as}} Sage's Sons
{{col-break|width=33%}}
;Female cast
*[[Shanta Apte]] {{small|as}} Savithiri
*[[M. S. Subbulakshmi]] {{small|as}} [[Narada]]
*[[P. Bhanumathi]] {{small|as}} Malavi Devi
*{{small|Golden}} Saradambal {{small|as}} Padmavathi Devi
*T. S. Krishnaveni {{small|as}} Madanika
*S. R. Lakshmi {{small|as}} Nirmala
{{Col-end}}

== Production ==
Shanta Apte was a popular Marathi and Hindi star. She did not know Tamil, but insisted that she will learn the language and lend her own voice in the film. She studied under a tutor in Pune for one year and became proficient in the language.<ref name=hindu /> M. S. Subbulakshmi was cast in the role of [[Narada]], a male Vedic Sage.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sai |first=Veejay |date=29 September 2015 |title=Celebrating a legend: A century of MS Subbulakshmi through 10 songs |url=https://scroll.in/article/758042/celebrating-a-legend-a-century-of-ms-subbulakshmi-through-10-songs |url-status=live |access-date=15 June 2021 |website=[[Scroll.in]] |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20170321043517/https://scroll.in/article/758042/celebrating-a-legend-a-century-of-ms-subbulakshmi-through-10-songs |archivedate=21 March 2017}}</ref> The film was produced in ''New Theatres Studio'' in Calcutta (now [[Kolkata]]).<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gopalakrishnan |first=P.V. |date=20 February 2017 |title=Filmy Ripples: Movie Studios (Part 1) |url=https://tcrcindia.com/2017/02/20/filmy-ripples-movie-studios-part-1/ |url-status=live |accessdate=15 June 2021 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20210615102320/https://tcrcindia.com/2017/02/20/filmy-ripples-movie-studios-part-1/ |archivedate=15 June 2021 }}</ref>

== Soundtrack ==
Music was composed by M. Rajagopala Sharma while Kamal Das Gupta was in charge of orchestration. "Bruhi Muhundeti" is a [[Kriti (music)|kriti]] by [[Sadasiva Brahmendra]]. Other lyrics were penned by [[Papanasam Sivan]].

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%;"
! S/N !! Song !! Singer/s !! Duration (m:ss)
|-
| 1 || "Bruhi Mukundethi Rasane" || rowspan=7|M. S. Subbulakshmi || 02:17
|-
| 2 || "Maname Kanamum" || 01:55
|-
| 3 || "Aggini Endrariyayo Karpudaya Mangayarai" || 02:34
|-
| 4 || "Deviyai Poojai Seivay" || 02:08
|-
| 5 || "Mangalamum Peruvar" || 02:10
|-
| 6 || "Sollu Kulandaai" || 03:21
|-
| 7 || "Deviyai Poojai Seivai" || 03:30
|-
| 8 || "Jayadeviye Jagadambike Karunaiyai Arulvai Devi" || rowspan=5|Shanta Apte || 02:17
|-
| 9 || "Anandamaana Ullasamudan Villaiyaduvom Paduvom Paattugalai" || 01:54
|-
| 10 || "Ado Devi, Ado Pogiran.. Iha Para Sukhamum" ||02:43
|-
| 11 || "Maaye, Yenadu Thaye" || 01:59
|-
| 12 || "Kulamigu Piraviyin" || 02:19
|-
| 13 || "Naadhan Uyirkku Mandraadum" || V. A. Chellappa || 02:54
|}

== Release ==
''Savithiri'' was released on 4 September 1941 at Madurai, Trichy and Coimbatore.<ref>{{Cite news |date=30 August 1941 |title=Savithiri |pages=2 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19410830&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=15 June 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In Madras it was released on 17 October.<ref>{{Cite news |date=18 October 1941 |title=Savithiri |pages=4 |work=[[The Indian Express]] |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19411018&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |access-date=15 June 2021}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

== Reception ==
The film did not fare well in the box-office. Film historian [[Randor Guy]] said the film is remembered for "the fine performances of MS, Rao, Chellappa and Shantha Apte, and MS's songs many of which became hits."<ref name=hindu />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
*{{IMDb title|0265706}}
*{{youTube|ZTKtaSQzQ0Q|Savithiri}} - Full-length film

[[Category:Indian drama films]]
[[Category:Films based on the Mahabharata]]
[[Category:Films about Savitri and Satyavan]]
[[Category:Indian black-and-white films]]
[[Category:1941 drama films]]
[[Category:1941 films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Y. V. Rao]]
[[Category:Tamil-language Indian films]]
[[Category:1941 Tamil-language films]]
[[Category:1941 Indian films]]

Savithiri (1941 film) - Revision history

MarisaBlackwelde: Added basic pg w/ sources