K. Viswanath

In this Telugu name, the surname is Kasinadhuni.
K. Viswanath
K. Vishwanath at the National Film Awards Function, 2017
Born
Kasinadhuni Viswanath

(1930-02-19)19 February 1930
Repalle, Madras Presidency, British India (now in Andhra Pradesh, India)
Died2 February 2023(2023-02-02) (aged 92)
Hyderabad, Telangana, India
Occupations
  • Film director
  • Screenwriter
  • Actor
  • Lyricist
Years active1951–2023
WorksFull list
AwardsPadma Shri (1992)
Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2016)

Kasinadhuni Viswanath (19 February 1930 – 2 February 2023) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist and actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. One of the greatest auteurs of Indian cinema,[1][2][3][4] he received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream cinema.[a] He was honuored with the "Prize of the Public" at the "Besançon Film Festival of France" in 1981.[7] In 1992, he received the Andhra Pradesh state Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and the civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of arts. In 2016, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema.[8][9][10] He is popularly known as "Kalatapasvi."

Viswanath started his film career as an audiographer and over sixty years, he has directed 53 feature films in a variety of genres, including central themes based on performing arts, visual arts, aesthetics, melodrama, and poetry.[5][3][4] Viswanath's filmography is known for addressing the issues of caste, colour, disability, gender discrimination, misogyny, alcoholism and socio-economic challenges[11] through liberal arts medium.[3][4]

Viswanath's classic blockbusters Sankarabharanam (1980) and Sagara Sangamam (1983) were featured among CNN-IBN's 100 greatest Indian films of all time.[12] His directorial works Sankarabharanam and Saptapadi (1981) fetched the National Film Awards for Best Popular Film for Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Feature Film on National Integration, respectively. Sankarabharanam, was featured at the 8th IFFI,[13][14] the Tashkent Film Festival, the Moscow International Film Festival,[15] and the Besançon Film Festival.[16]

Viswanath's Swathi Muthyam (1986) was India's official entry to the 59th Academy Awards. Swathi Muthyam, Sagara Sangamam and Sirivennela (1986), were featured at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival.[17] Swayamkrushi (1987) was screened to special mention at the Moscow International Film Festival.[18] Sankarabharanam, Sagara Sangamam, Sruthilayalu (1987), Swarnakamalam (1988), and Swathi Kiranam (1992) were featured in the Indian Panorama sections of IFFI,[19][20] Ann Arbor Film Festival,[21][22] and AISFM Film Festival respectively.[23]

Viswanath is a recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South, and a Filmfare Award in Hindi.[24] His directorial works which are produced by Poornodaya Movie Creations were screened to special mention at the Moscow International Film Festival; such films were dubbed into Russian language and have been theatrically released in Moscow.[25][26]

  1. ^ "K. Viswanath auteur of Telugu cinema". 3 February 2023 – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  2. ^ "Vishwanath leaves a void too big to fill in Telugu cinema". The New Indian Express.
  3. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference intellectbooks.co.uk was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d Cite error: The named reference auto was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b "Arts / History & Culture : Celebrating a doyen". The Hindu. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2012.
  6. ^ Special Correspondent (20 February 2012). "Director K. Viswanath to be feted". The Hindu. Retrieved 5 September 2012. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  7. ^ "K. Viswanath Film craft Page 6 DFF" (PDF). Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  8. ^ "64th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. p. 183. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  9. ^ "Director K Viswanath named for Dadasaheb Phalke award". Deccan Chronicle. 24 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Difficult to Produce Another Talent Like K Viswanath: Kamal Haasan". 25 April 2017.
  11. ^ "The filmmaker with the midas touch: Remembering the legendary K Viswanath" – via The Economic Times - The Times of India.
  12. ^ 100 Years of Indian Cinema: The 100 greatest Indian films of all time|Movies News Photos-IBNLive. Ibnlive.in.com (17 April 2013). Retrieved on 2013-07-28.
  13. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  14. ^ aatapaatalu.net/2011/04/spl-interview-with-edida-nageswararao.January 2013.
  15. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 22 September 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  16. ^ "29th National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festival. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  17. ^ Prakash KL. "Sagara Sangamam to be screened at Kamal's films fest | – Oneindia Entertainment". Entertainment.oneindia.in. Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  18. ^ "Chiranjeevi felicitation on Padma Bhushan honor - Telugu Cinema actor". www.idlebrain.com. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  20. ^ 300 films during 11 days from 47 countries in IFFI-2009 Archived 24 June 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Literature India. Retrieved on 28 July 2013.
  21. ^ "Dance without frontiers: K Viswanath – Director who aims to revive classical arts". 2 May 2017.
  22. ^ "Directorate of Film Festival" (PDF). Iffi.nic.in. Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  23. ^ "The films of K. Viswanath". 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 4 July 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  24. ^ "52nd National Film Awards" (PDF). Directorate of Film Festivals. Akal Information Systems Ltd. p. 81. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2011. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  25. ^ "Poornodaya movies in Russian language". mirchi9.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2014. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  26. ^ Ranjana Dave (30 June 2011). "The meaning in movement". The Asian Age. Archived from the original on 6 April 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2012.


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