People find Savitri in Telangana Thalli!

Hyderabad: An auto driver, L Venu, who regularly picks up and drops off passengers, has noticed a poster of a woman in a green saree on every metro pillar along his route. Speaking to The Hans India, he initially dismissed it as just another advertisement on the Hyderabad Metro Rail pillars. However, over time, he became intrigued by the poster, as the features of the woman in the poster bore a resemblance to someone he knew well. Curious, Venu stopped at one metro pillar and examined the poster closely, but in vain, as he failed to recollect who it was.

However, while driving a passenger from Punjagutta to HITEC City on Monday afternoon, he saw the poster from a long distance. He realised the woman in the poster was Savitri. It was written on the poster in Telugu as “Telangana Thalli”.

Savitri is a legendary Telugu actress, well-known in many Telugu households for her performances. Venu is not alone in this recognition.

C Sravanthi, who works at an IT firm in Madhapur, also identified the woman in the green saree with a prominent bindi as Savitri, particularly recalling her from the song “Aalayana Velasina”, in the 1965 Telugu film ‘Devatha’. The song highlights the significant role women play in the home. The entire song was pictured of Savitri moving around in a home. “The facial features of Savitri in that song closely resemble the picture of Telangana Thalli”, Sravanthi explains.

R Sastri, an income tax consultant, also sees the resemblance, stating that the poster unmistakably looks like Savitri in a green saree. “From a distance, there’s no doubt that it’s reminiscent of Savitri,” he says.

Anuradha, a senior secondary school teacher from Ashok Nagar, shares similar sentiments. She recalls that decades ago, during her school days, she saw Savitri’s film posters everywhere. “My entire family has always enjoyed watching old Telugu films, and we’ve never missed her performances over the years. From a distance, the poster truly resembles Savitri. Anyone who enjoys classic Telugu movies would immediately recognise her features.” She also mentioned other films like ‘Gundamma Katha’ and ‘Dr Chakravarthi’, where Savitri’s acting left a lasting impression on Telugu people, as her facial features in those roles align closely with that of the Telangana Thalli in the poster.