Kalatapasvi K Viswanath passes away
Viswanath's award-winning classic 'Sankarabharanam' noted him as a director, and the movie is still considered to be one of his best works. Incidentally, the movie was released on the same day 43 years ago, on February 2, 1980.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 2 Feb 2023 8:31 PM GMT
Hyderabad: Legendary director Kasinadhuni Vishwanath (92) passed away in a private hospital on Thursday night. He was 92 and had been suffering from age-related issues for some time.
Popularly known as Kalatapasvi, he is a recipient of the highest honour in India for the film industry, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2016. He is a recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South, and a Filmfare Award in Hindi, and the civilian honor Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of arts.
Born in Repalle of Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh, he holds a BSc degree from Andhra Christian College of Andhra University. Viswanath began his career as a sound recordist at Vauhini Studios in Madras, where his father was an associate.
The legendary director started his career in 1951 as an assistant director in the Telugu-Tamil Film' Pathala Bhairavi'. In 1965, Viswanath debuted as a director with Telugu film 'Aatma Gowravam, which won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film.
Classic Director
Viswanath's award-winning classic 'Sankarabharanam' noted him as a director, and the movie is still considered to be one of his best works. Incidentally, the movie was released on the same day 43 years ago, on February 2, 1980.
Some of his top movies are Swati Mutyam, Swarna Kamalam, Swayam Krushi, Subhaleka, Sagara Sangamam, Aapadbandhavudu, and Siri Vennela. He also appeared in several films in the 2000's. His last movie as a director was Subhapradam in 2010.
'Swathimuthyam,' starring Kamal Haasan, was India's official entry for Best Foreign Language film at the 59th Academy Awards. Actor Kamal Haasan considers very few people as his mentors, which includes the veteran director K Vishwanath. Kamal Hasan also met him at his residence in Hyderabad in November 2022.
Telangana Govenor Tamilsai Soundarajan,AP chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and Telangana chief minister KCR expressed deep condolences at the demise of the legendary director. The renowned celebs of the South Indian film industry including RRR star Jr NTR, veteran actor Mammootty, musician AR Rahman, director Gopichand Mallineni, and many others paid tribute to K Viswanath by making emotional posts on their official social media handles
