Meet The Shakuntalas From Past: Samantha Ruth Prabhu's Shaakuntalam Is 10th Film

We are just hours away from the long-awaited release of Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s Shaakuntalam. Did you know that the film had already been made nine times in the past in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada? Nine female actors have portrayed the iconic role of Princess Shakuntalu.

Earlier today, Prabhu shared a picture on her Instagram handle of the actors who have essayed the iconic role of Shakuntala over the years. Sharing a collage of the nine women who have played Shakuntala in the past, Prabhu wrote, "It has truly been the greatest honour." Shaakuntalam is yours from tomorrow!"

Shakuntalas From Past

Here's the list of actors who have portrayed the role of Shakuntala in the past.

Dorothy Kingdon

In 1920, actor Dorothy Kingdon played the role of Shakuntala. The movie was directed by Suchet Singh and was titled Shakuntala.

Surabhi Kamala Bai

Director Sarvottam Badami made the Telugu film Shakuntala, and actor Surabhi Kamala Bai played the titular character.

M.S. Subbulakshmi

In 1940, director Ellis R. Dungan made the Tamil film Sakuntalai, starring M.S. Subbulakshmi in the lead role.

Jayshree

Actor Jayshree portrayed the role of Shakuntala in the 1943 costume drama Shakuntala. Actor Chanfra Mohan portrayed King Dushyant. The Hindi film was directed by V. Shantaram.

Sandhya

Actor Sandhya played the role of Shakuntala in the 1961 Hindi movie Stree. The film was directed by V. Shantaram. The movie was selected as the Indian entry for the best foreign language film at the 34^th Academy Awards but was not included in the nomination.

K.R. Vijaya

In 1965, Shakuntala was made in Malayalam by director Kunchacko. Seasoned actor K.R. Vijaya was cast as the titular character, Shakuntala, in the film.

Saroja Devi

In 1966, veteran actor Saroja Devi portrayed Shakuntala in the Telugu film Shakuntala directed by Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. The film starred N.T. Rama Rao in the role of King Dushyant.

Jayapradha

The first Kannada version of Shakuntala was made in 1983, starring esteemed actor Jayapradha as the lead. Dr. Rajkumar played the role of Dishyant. The film was directed by Renuka Sharma.

After three decades, the mythological story of Shakuntala has been remade again for the 10^th time. The film is helmed by Gunasekhar and bankrolled jointly by Gunaa Teamworks and Sri Venkateshwara Creations. Actor Dev Mohan is cast opposite Samantha Ruth Prabhu as King Dushyant.

Shaakuntalam was originally a play written by Indian Poet Kalidasa titled "Abhijnanashakuntalam." It is held to be one of the finest works in the world of literature. The story of Shakuntala was narrated in the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The exact time of the story is unknown but Kalidasa is often placed in the 4th Century.

The movie narrates the legendary love story of Princess Shakuntala and King Dushyanta. Shakuntala, who falls in love with King Dushyant. They get married and have a baby. However, due to a sage’s curse, King Dushyant forgets Shakuntala until destiny unites them again.

The star cast of Shaakuntalam (2023) also includes Aditi Balan, Ananya Nagalla, Gautami, Madhoo, Prakash Raj, Sachin Khedekar, Mohan Babu, and Kabir Bedi, among others.

The dubbed version of Shaakuntalam will be released in Tamil, Hindi, Malayalam, and Kannada. The film is all set to release in 3D on April 14, 2023.

Suggested Reading: Shaakuntalam Trailer: Samantha Ruth Prabhu Star In Mythological Romance Tale