Legendary filmmaker, Kala Tapasvi K Viswanath, who had conjured an irreplaceable spot for himself in Telugu cinema, passed away on Thursday night in a private hospital in Hyderabad where he was undergoing treatment for age-related ailments. He was 92.
In a career spanning nearly 6 decades, he directed 53 films. Born on February 19, 1932, K Viswanath was an erstwhile associate of Adurthi Subba Rao, one of the doyens of Telugu cinema. He made his feature film debut with Aatma Gowravam in 1965, which fetched him Nandi Awards for Best Debut Director and Best Feature Film (Bronze).
The filmmaker quickly went on to make critically acclaimed films like Chelleli Kapuram (1971), Kalam Marindi (1972), Sarada (1973), O Seeta Katha (1974) and Jeevana Jyothi (1975). His most iconic directorial work came in the form of Sankarabharanam in 1979 and the musical drama is widely regarded as one of the greatest artistic works ever produced by Telugu cinema. In a filmography suffused with numerous acclaimed works, films like Sagara Sangamam (1983), Subhalekha (1982), Swathi Muthyam (1985), Swarnakamalam (1988) and Aapadbandhavudu (1992) stand out. His films propagated the importance of moral values and familial bonds, and have always steered clear of vulgarity. His last directorial, Subhapradam, was released in 2010.
K Viswanath also directed films in Hindi (Sangeet, Dhanwaan, Sanjog, Shub Kaamna). As an actor too, he made his presence felt in numerous films beginning with Subha Sankalpam in 1995. Some of his most popular roles, across Tamil and Telugu, came in Kuruthipunal (1995), Narasimha Naidu (2001), Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule (2007) and Uttama Villain (2015), to name a few.
K Viswanath was awarded Padma Shri in 1992 and Dadasaheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema in 2016.
(Story inputs from express cinema)