How did Savitri's 'Pedannana' (her guardian) react when he came to know about her secret marriage to Gemini Ganesan?  In 'Mahanati', director Nag Ashwin recreates the situation as it happened (or as he knows it).  The guardian, played in the film by Rajendra Prasad, flew into a paroxysm.  He literally brandished a pistol and would have shot Gemini Ganesan down!  Scary!

Rekha, the daughter of Savitri's husband's mistress Pushpavalli, almost faced a similar situation with her alleged husband's parents.  As per the Bollywood great's biographer Yasser Usman, when Rekha was married to actor Vinod Mehra, the latter's mother didn't accept their relationship.  The "hostile" mother-in-law "took off her sandals and almost assaulted Rekha", says the biographer.  Shocking!

Both Rekha and her step-mom Savitri had to face such cathartic situations in real life.  Both were iconic actresses in their respective ways, although Savitri's Mahanati status is insuperable.