K Vishwanath would receive a golden lotus, a cash prize of ₹10 lakhs and a shawl as part of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, considered the highest recognition in Indian cinema, which will be given away by President Pranab Mukherjee at the 64th National Film Awards Function on May 3 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Vishwanath has made a series of films based on varied themes of art, music and dance. Culture, along with music and dance always played a prominent role in the progression of the story of his films. Viswanath's filmography is known for addressing the societal evils such as caste system, dowry, untouchability and violence. The films like ‘Saptapadi’, ‘Swayam Krushi’, ‘Subhalekha’ and ‘Sutradharulu’ were highly recognized for making strong comment on such issues. He has also successfully portrayed the human issues of physical and mental disability with the films like ‘Sarada’ and ‘Sirivennela’.
In spite of the sensitivity of these subjects, they are presented in a creative manner that puts the right amount of emphasis on the intended message. Yet Vishwanath's films were never considered as offbeat cinema but proved to be complete package of entertainment for the viewers. Being a director, he believes cinema can bring out desirable change in society if presented aesthetically. He has been known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream cinema, in a distinguished and highly acceptable way.
Born on 19th February 1930 in Andhra Pradesh, Vishwanath is a sound designer-turned director and character actor, known for his work in Telegu, Tamil and Hindi cinema. He has been associated with almost 60 films in his career span of 60 years as Sound recorder, Screenplay and Story writer, Assistant Director, Actor or Director.
Awards have been rained upon him, for his brilliant sense of film making, which itself defines the success story and quality of his works. He made films which have been recognised not only by the Indian film industry but also made a strong inkling on the world. During the years, he has been honoured with five National Film Awards (for ‘Sankarabharanam’, ‘Saptapadi’, ‘Swati Mutyam’, ‘Sutradharulu’, and ‘Swarabhishekam’), 20 Nandi Awards (awarded by the Andhra Pradesh Government for films like ‘Shruti Layalu’, ‘Subha Sankalpam’ and ‘Kalisundam Raa’ etc.), 10 Filmfare Awards including Lifetime Achievement Award (for ‘O Seeta Katha’, ‘Jeevana Jyoti’, ‘Saagara Sangamam’, ‘Subhalekha’ and others), and the prestigious Padma Shri Award.
His films like ‘Swayam Krushi’, ‘Swati Kiranam’ and ‘Swarnakamalam’ have been premiered and recognized at International Film Festivals as well, such as International Film Festival of India, Tashkent Film Festival, Moscow International Film Festival, Besancon Film Festival of France and Asia Pacific Film Festival. His film ‘Swati Mutyam’ represented India at the 59th Academy awards in the best foreign films category.
In 1965, Vishwanath debuted as a director with Telugu film ‘Aatma Gowravam’, which won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film of the year. Since then, most of his films were able to get critic acclaims along with success at Box office as well. He has worked with leading actors from across the industry including Kamal Haasan, Jayaprada, Rishi Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Rakesh Roshan, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi, Mithun Chakravarti, Vanisri, NT Rama Rao, Shoban Babu and Chiranjeevi, and became the mentor and patron for many.
In 1995, Vishwanath debuted as an actor with Telugu film ‘Subha Sankalpam’. Later he got popularity as a character actor, and appeared in Telugu - Tamil films such as ‘Kakkai Siraginilae’ (2000), ‘Narasimha Naidu’ (2001), ‘Bagavathi’ (2002), ‘Pudhiya Geethai’ (2003), ‘Tagore’ (2003), ‘Swarabhishekam’ (2004), ‘Pandurangadu’ (2008) and many more. Viswanath's Hindi films include 'Sargam', 'Kaamchor', 'Sanjog', 'Jaag Utha Insan', 'Eeshwar', 'Sur Sangam', 'Shubh Kaamna', 'Sangeet' and 'Dhanwaan'. He has also acted in few television serials and endorsed for few brands as well.
K Vishwanath is a true legendary icon for Indian Film Industry, and his exceptional and exemplary work would undoubtedly continue to inspire many. He has set a prominent benchmark for the art of film making that would be arduous for others to touch.
(Author is journalist and film critique. Views expressed in the article are his personal.)
