Shalini Pandey’s look revealed in Mahanati making-of video

Ever since Mahanati got going and the main cast confirmed, people have debated about the kind of role Shalini Pandey of Arjun Reddy would play. The answer was revealed in a video released on social media on Tuesday that takes us through the making of the film.

Shalini plays an older married woman sporting a traditional look. A huge bindi, the large nose pin and her sari does take one back in time. This was the everyday attire for housewives in the 1960s. So does she play the role of a family member of one of the prominent characters in the film? We will have to wait and see.

The video also showcases the effort that has been taken by individual departments, especially those like set design and costumes. To bring back a bygone era on celluloid takes a lot of hard work and man hours. The team went through more than thousand auditions as there are about 150 speaking roles. Art director Thotta Tharani helped the team with the set design. From cars of the era to the kind of toys that children played with, the filmmakers have given attention to all the minute details.

The video also shows some fun moments such as Vijay Devarakonda and Samantha Akkineni riding a retro bike that came with the side car. We see Keerthy Suresh and Dulquer Salmaan make faces while Shalini tries to hide her face behind a book. Using Savitri’s voice to begin this video adds nostalgia for movie lovers.

The biopic of the veteran actor Savitri has been directed by Nag Ashwin and produced by Vyjayanthi Movies. The music is by Mickey J Meyer. The film has a huge ensemble cast including Keerthy Suresh, Samantha Akkineni, Vijay Deverakonda, Prakash Raj, Banu Priya, Shalini Pandey and will have a few cameos as well. Naga Chaitanya reportedly plays the role of his grandfather, Akkineni Nageswar Rao, in the film.

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