[3] According to Garga, Savitri was the "only mythological" produced by Himanshu Rai for Bombay Talkies, who were known for making "rurlist reform dramas".

[6] The film is based on an incident from the epic Mahabharata and tells the story of Savitri and Satyavan, played by Devika Rani and Ashok Kumar.

Savitri is born as a boon from the Sun God and thus shares a blood-relation with Karna as a sister, to Ashwapati, the King of Madra and his wife Malawi.

Savitri meets and falls in love with Satyavan, the son of the blind King Dumatasena.

A year later when Savitri sees Yama carrying Satyavan's soul she follows and discourses with him, while continuing her pursuit.