Kasinadhuni Viswanath (19 February 1930 – 2 February 2023) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist and actor who predominantly worked in
Telugu cinema
Telugu cinema, also known as Tollywood, is the segment of Cinema of India, Indian cinema dedicated to the production of Film, motion pictures in the Telugu language, widely spoken in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Based in Film N ...
. One of the greatest auteurs of
Indian cinema
The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
,
he received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending
parallel cinema
Parallel cinema, or New Indian Cinema, is a film movement in Cinema of India, Indian cinema that originated in the state of West Bengal in the 1950s as an alternative to the mainstream commercial Indian cinema.
Inspired by Italian Neorealism, ...
with mainstream cinema. He was honuored with the "Prize of the Public" at the "
Besançon
Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland.
Capi ...
Film Festival of
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
" in 1981. In 1992, he received the Andhra Pradesh state
Raghupathi Venkaiah Award
The Raghupathi Venkaiah Award is an award issued by the Indian state government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise lifetime achievements in Telugu cinema. The award was introduced in 1981 in honour of Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, one of India's film p ...
, and the civilian honour
Padma Shri
The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
for his contribution to the field of arts. In 2016, he was conferred with the
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest Film award, award in the field of cinema, given by the Government of India and presented annually at the National Film Awards. The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the ...
, the highest award in
Indian cinema
The cinema of India, consisting of motion pictures made by the Indian film industry, has had a large effect on world cinema since the second half of the 20th century. Indian cinema is made up of various film industries, each focused on p ...
.
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
The performing arts are arts such as music, dance, and drama which are performed for an audience. They are different from the visual arts, which involve the use of paint, canvas or various materials to create physical or static art objects. P ...
,
visual arts
The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...
,
aesthetics
Aesthetics (also spelled esthetics) is the branch of philosophy concerned with the nature of beauty and taste (sociology), taste, which in a broad sense incorporates the philosophy of art.Slater, B. H.Aesthetics ''Internet Encyclopedia of Ph ...
,
melodrama
A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
, and
poetry
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
.
Viswanath's filmography is known for addressing the issues of discrimination and socio-economic challenges through
liberal arts
Liberal arts education () is a traditional academic course in Western higher education. ''Liberal arts'' takes the term ''skill, art'' in the sense of a learned skill rather than specifically the fine arts. ''Liberal arts education'' can refe ...
medium.
Viswanath's classic blockbusters ''
Sankarabharanam
Sankarabharanam may refer to:
* ''Sankarabharanam'' (1980 film), an Indian Telugu-language musical drama film
* ''Sankarabharanam'' (2015 film), an Indian Telugu-language crime comedy film
* Sankarabharanam (raga), a rāga in Carnatic music ...
'' (1980) and ''
Sagara Sangamam
''Sagara Sangamam'' () is a 1983 Indian Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath and produced by Edida Nageswara Rao. The film stars Kamal Haasan, Jaya Prada, Sarath Babu, S. P. Sailaja and Chakri Toleti. Upon releas ...
'' (1983) were featured among
CNN-IBN
CNN News18 is an Indian English-language news television channel founded by Raghav Bahl based in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. It is currently co-owned by Network18 Group and Warner Bros. Discovery. CNN provides international coverage for the c ...
's ''100 greatest Indian films of all time''. His directorial works ''Sankarabharanam'' and ''
Saptapadi
Saptapadi () or ''saat phere'' (), is regarded to be the most important rite (Sanskrit: ) of a Hindu wedding ceremony.
In this rite, the bride and the groom tie a knot and take seven steps together, or complete seven rounds around a sacred fir ...
'' (1981) fetched the
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
for
Best Popular Film for Providing Wholesome Entertainment and
Best Feature Film on National Integration
The Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration was one of the National Film Awards presented annually by the Directorate of Film Festivals, the organization set up by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, India. It is one ...
, respectively. ''Sankarabharanam'', was featured at the
8th IFFI, the
Tashkent
Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...
Film Festival, the
Moscow International Film Festival
The Moscow International Film Festival (, Transliteration, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is a film festival first held in Moscow in 1935 and became regular since 1959. From its inception to ...
, and the
Besançon
Besançon (, ; , ; archaic ; ) is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerland.
Capi ...
Film Festival.
Viswanath's ''
Swathi Muthyam'' (1986) was
India's official entry to the 59th Academy Awards. ''Swathi Muthyam'', ''Sagara Sangamam'' and ''
Sirivennela
''Sirivennela'' (Telugu language, Telugu :సిరివెన్నల) () is a 1986 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language romance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Suhasini Maniratnam, Suhasini, Sarvadaman D. Banerje ...
'' (1986), were featured at the
Asia-Pacific Film Festival
The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (abbreviated APFF) is an annual film festival hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific (FPA). The festival was first held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954.
History
The festival was first he ...
. ''
Swayamkrushi'' (1987) was screened to special mention at the Moscow International Film Festival. ''Sankarabharanam'', ''Sagara Sangamam'', ''
Sruthilayalu
''Sruthilayalu'' (Telugu : శ్రుతిలయలు) is a 1987 Telugu-language musical drama film, directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Rajasekhar and Sumalatha with soundtrack composed by K. V. Mahadevan. It was released on 30 Apri ...
'' (1987), ''
Swarnakamalam
''Swarnakamalam'' () is a 1988 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language dance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Venkatesh (actor), Venkatesh and Bhanupriya in the lead, while Sharon Lowen appears in a special role. The fil ...
'' (1988), and ''
Swathi Kiranam
''Swathi Kiranam'' () is a 1992 Telugu-language musical drama film directed by K. Viswanath. Produced by V. Madhusudhana Rao, the film starred Mammootty in his Telugu debut, Master Manjunath and Radhika, along with Achyuth, Jayanthi, Sakshi ...
'' (1992) were featured in the Indian Panorama sections of
IFFI,
Ann Arbor Film Festival
The Ann Arbor Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Established in 1963, it is the fourth-oldest film festival in North America (after the Yorkton Film Festival, 1947; Columbus International Film & Video Festival, 19 ...
, and
AISFM Film Festival respectively.
Viswanath is a recipient of five
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards are awards for artistic and technical merit given for "Excellence within the Cinema of India, Indian film industry". Established in 1954, it has been administered, along with the International Film Festival of India ...
, seven state
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are annual awards presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, as well as lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. The awards are named after the monolithic ...
, ten
Filmfare Awards South
The Filmfare Awards South are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Telugu cinema, Tamil cinema, Malayalam cinema and Kannada cinema. They are presented by ''Filmfare'' magazine of The Times Group. When it was intr ...
, and a
Filmfare Award
The Filmfare Awards are annual awards that honour artistic and technical excellence in the Indian cinema.Al The Filmfare ceremony is one of the most famous film events in India. The awards were introduced by Filmfare magazine of The Time ...
in
Hindi
Modern Standard Hindi (, ), commonly referred to as Hindi, is the Standard language, standardised variety of the Hindustani language written in the Devanagari script. It is an official language of India, official language of the Government ...
.
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
Russian is an East Slavic languages, East Slavic language belonging to the Balto-Slavic languages, Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family. It is one of the four extant East Slavic languages, and is ...
and have been theatrically released in
Moscow
Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...
.
Early life
Viswanath was born on 19 February 1930 in a
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of South India
** Telugu literature, is the body of works written in the Telugu language.
* Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Tel ...
family to Kasinadhuni Subramanyam and Kasinadhuni Saraswathy (Saraswathamma) in
Repalle
Repalle is a town in Bapatla district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The town is one of the 12 municipalities in Bapatla district and the headquarters of Repalle mandal under the administration of Repalle revenue division. It is situat ...
of
Guntur district
Guntur district is one of the twenty six districts in the Coastal Andhra region of the States and union territories of India, Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The administrative seat of the district is located at Guntur, the List of urban agglom ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
. His ancestral roots come from
Pedapulivarru
Pedapulivarru is a village in Guntur district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the located in Bhattiprolu mandal of Tenali revenue division. It forms a part of Andhra Pradesh Capital Region.
Geography
Pedapulivarru is situated ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (ISO 15919, ISO: , , AP) is a States and union territories of India, state on the East Coast of India, east coast of southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, seventh-largest state and th ...
, a small village on the banks of River
Krishna
Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...
. Viswanath studied Intermediate from
Guntur Hindu College, and holds a BSc degree from Andhra Christian College of
Andhra University
Andhra University is a public university located in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India. It was established in 1926. It is graded as an A++ institution by NAAC receiving a score of 3.74 on a scale of 4.
History
King Vikram Deo Verma, the Mah ...
.
He began his career as a
sound recordist
Sound recording and reproduction is the electrical, mechanical, electronic, or digital inscription and re-creation of sound waves, such as spoken voice, singing, instrumental music, or sound effects. The two main classes of sound recording te ...
at
Vauhini Studios
Vauhini Studios was an Indian film production company and studio facility in Madras. It was founded by Moola Narayana Swamy and B. N. Reddy (Bommireddy Narasimha Reddy). In later years, Nagi Reddi, owner of Vijaya Productions, acquired Vauhini ...
in
Madras
Chennai, also known as Madras ( its official name until 1996), is the capital and largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India. It is located on the Coromandel Coast of the Bay of Bengal. According to the 2011 Indian ce ...
, where his father was an associate. There, he apprenticed under the guidance of A Krishnan, who was the Head of Sound Engineering at Vauhini. Viswanath and A Krishnan developed a close rapport and later after the former made the transition into film direction, he would always bounce ideas off the latter. Viswanath made his entry into film direction at Annapurna Pictures under
Adurthi Subba Rao
Adurthi Subba Rao (16 December 1912 – 1 October 1975) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor, primarily recognized for his contributions to Telugu cinema, with a few works in Hindi and Tamil cinema. In an era dominate ...
and
K. Ramnoth. He wished to work as an assistant to director
K. Balachander and
Bapu.
Career
During his early career, Viswanath was associated with
Adurthi Subba Rao
Adurthi Subba Rao (16 December 1912 – 1 October 1975) was an Indian film director, screenwriter, producer, and editor, primarily recognized for his contributions to Telugu cinema, with a few works in Hindi and Tamil cinema. In an era dominate ...
on National Award-winning films such as ''
Mooga Manasulu'' (1964) and ''
Doctor Chakravarty'' (1964).
Viswanath scripted ''
Sudigundalu'' (1968), and directed works such as ''
Aatma Gowravam'' (1965), ''
O Seeta Katha
''O Seeta Katha'' () is a 1974 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language film directed by K. Viswanath. The film won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Silver), and the Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu). The film was later remade both in Malaya ...
'' (1974) and ''
Jeevana Jyothi'' (1975) which garnered the state
Nandi Awards
The Nandi Awards are annual awards presented by the Government of Andhra Pradesh to recognise excellence in Telugu cinema, theatre, and television, as well as lifetime achievements in Indian cinema. The awards are named after the monolithic ...
, and were screened at the Asian and African film Festival at Tashkent.
In 1951 he started as an assistant director in the Telugu-Tamil Film ''
Pathala Bhairavi
''Pathala Bhairavi'' () is a 1951 Indian fantasy film directed by K. V. Reddy who co-wrote the film with Pingali and Kamalakara Kameswara Rao. Shot simultaneously in Telugu and Tamil languages, the film was produced by Nagi Reddi and Chakra ...
'' (1951). In 1965, Viswanath debuted as a director with Telugu film ''
Aatma Gowravam'' (1965), which won the
Nandi Award for Best Feature Film
This is the list of winners of the Nandi Award for Best Feature Films since 1964.
Best Feature Film - Gold
Second Best Feature Film - Silver
Third Best Feature Film - Bronze
References
See also
* Cinema of Andhra Pradesh
{{DEFAULTSORT:Na ...
of the year. Viswanath followed it up with drama films ''
Chelleli Kapuram'' (1971), ''
Sarada
Sharada or Sarada (Sanskrit for "autumnal") may refer to:
* the season spanning the months of Bhadrapada, Ashvin, and Kārtika of the traditional lunar Hindu calendar
* Another name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati
* Sharada script, abugida writing ...
'' (1973), ''
O Seeta Katha
''O Seeta Katha'' () is a 1974 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language film directed by K. Viswanath. The film won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Silver), and the Filmfare Best Film Award (Telugu). The film was later remade both in Malaya ...
'' (1974) and ''
Jeevana Jyoti'' (1975) which are women-centric films.
It was in ''
Siri Siri Muvva
''Siri Siri Muvva'' is a 1976 Indian Telugu-language drama film written and directed by K. Viswanath. It stars Jaya Prada and Chandra Mohan. K. Viswanath later remade the film in Hindi with leading lady Jaya Prada, as '' Sargam'', in 1979. ' ...
'' (1976) that the artistic touch in his craft first became visible.
''
Sankarabharanam
Sankarabharanam may refer to:
* ''Sankarabharanam'' (1980 film), an Indian Telugu-language musical drama film
* ''Sankarabharanam'' (2015 film), an Indian Telugu-language crime comedy film
* Sankarabharanam (raga), a rāga in Carnatic music ...
'' (1980) highlights the neglect of traditional Indian music under the increasing influence of western music. The film brings out the grandeur of Carnatic music, the traditional South Indian music towards the end. Bhaskaran, a media and film researcher from Chennai has documented, in his study of South Indian music culture, how ''Sankarabharanam'' contributed to the revival of
Carnatic music
Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha.
It is o ...
in a big way. The film broke many commercial records by running for over one year in cinemas. In a recent study published in ''Journal of Dance, Movements & Spiritualities'' published by "Intellect Group" of the United Kingdom, C. S. H. N. Murthy, a media and film studies scholar from India, has demonstrated how Viswanath's filmography embraces a wide spectrum of characters that include mentally and physically challenged subjects as well, like the film ''
Sarada
Sharada or Sarada (Sanskrit for "autumnal") may refer to:
* the season spanning the months of Bhadrapada, Ashvin, and Kārtika of the traditional lunar Hindu calendar
* Another name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati
* Sharada script, abugida writing ...
'' (1973), which exploits a psychologically deranged woman, ''
Swathi Muthyam'' (1986), which exploits an autistic man's humanism, ''
Sirivennela
''Sirivennela'' (Telugu language, Telugu :సిరివెన్నల) () is a 1986 Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language romance film written and directed by K. Viswanath. The film stars Suhasini Maniratnam, Suhasini, Sarvadaman D. Banerje ...
'' (1986) which revels in situations between deaf and dumb characters, and ''
Kalam Marindi'' (1972), which dwells on characters stuck in a caste-based society.
Film researcher, C. S. H. N. Murthy observed that Viswanath's films offer a pathway towards inclusiveness, affecting positive spiritual change at both personal and social levels. Situating the content in the broad arena of de-westernizing media studies, through immersive and culturally embedded perspectives, Murthy endeavoured to offer modern and postmodern dimensions in Viswanath's films.
Films with social issues
Viswanath has made many films dealing with a wide range of human and social issues: ''Saptapadi'', ''Sirivennela'', ''Sutradharulu'', ''Subhalekha'', ''Sruthilayalu'', ''Subha Sankalpam'', ''Aapadbandhavudu'', ''Swayam Krushi'', and ''Swarnakamalam'' have lead characters representing different strata of society, meticulously etched to suit the larger picture.
In ''Saptapadi'', he decries the evils of untouchability and the caste system. In ''Subhodayam'' and ''Swayam Krushi'' he emphasizes the dignity and respectability of manual labor. In ''Subhalekha'', he deals, in a humorous way, with the dowry system – one of the major evils in today's society. While ''Sutradharulu'' urges present-day society to recognize the need to adopt the ideals of non-violence, ''Swati Kiranam'' depicts the harm that can be caused by the basic instincts of envy and anger in a man, however accomplished he may be.
In spite of the nature of these subjects, they are presented in a subtle manner with an imaginative storyline, with just the right amount of emphasis on the intended message. Yet Viswanath's films were never offbeat cinema, but wholesome entertainers those elevated the lead actors' image. He is a director with social-conscious mind and who believes cinema can bring out desirable changes in society if presented in a format liked by a cross-section of audience.
Association with Poornodaya Creations
Edida Nageswara Rao
Edida Nageswara Rao (24 April 1934 – 4 October 2015) was an Indian film producer and actor known for his work in Telugu cinema. He was celebrated for blending artistic values with mainstream appeal, making him one of the most respected produc ...
founded "Poornodaya Movie Creations", which encouraged Viswanath to make aesthetic films.
Poornodaya has produced several of Viswanath's films like ''Sankarabharanam'', ''Swatimutyam'', ''Saagarasangamam'', ''Sutradharulu'', and ''Aapadbandhavudu''. Most of these films were dubbed into Russian and were screened at the
Moscow Film Festival
The Moscow International Film Festival (, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is a film festival first held in Moscow in 1935 and became regular since 1959. From its inception to 1959, it was hel ...
.
Hindi cinema
Viswanath has also directed Hindi language films such as ''
Sargam'' (1979), ''
Kaamchor'' (1982), ''
Shubh Kaamna'' (1983), ''
Jaag Utha Insan'' (1984), ''
Sur Sangam
''Sur Sangam'' is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language musical drama film written, and directed by K. Viswanath. The soundtrack was helmed by Laxmikant Pyarelal in a true amalgamation of authentic classical sounds with the vocals from Pandit Rajan Sajan ...
'' (1985), ''
Sanjog'' (1985), ''
Eeshwar'' (1989), ''
Sangeet'' (1992) and ''
Dhanwan'' (1993). Some of these films (especially his collaboration with actress
Jaya Prada
Jaya Prada Nahata (born Lalitha Rani Rao; 3 April 1962) is an Indian actress and politician known for her works majorly in Telugu cinema and Hindi cinema as well as in Tamil films in late '70s, '80s and early '90s. Jayaprada is the recipient ...
) have been super hits at the box office.
Acting
In 1995, Viswanath debuted as an actor with Telugu film ''
Subha Sankalpam
''Subha Sankalpam'' () is a 1995 Indian Telugu-language film directed by K. Viswanath and produced by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. The film features Kamal Haasan, Aamani and Priya Raman in lead roles, with Viswanath playing a significant suppor ...
''. As a character actor, he has appeared in works such as ''
Vajram'' (1995), ''
Kalisundam Raa
''Kalisundham Raa'' () is a 2000 Indian Telugu-language romantic family drama film directed by K. R. Udayasankar and produced by D. Suresh Babu. It stars Venkatesh, Simran and K. Viswanath, with music composed by S. A. Rajkumar. It recei ...
'' (2000), ''
Narasimha Naidu
''Narasimha Naidu'' is a 2001 Indian Telugu-language action drama film directed by B. Gopal and written by Chinni Krishna. The film stars Nandamuri Balakrishna in the titular role along with Simran, Preeti Jhangiani, Asha Saini and music ...
'' (2001), ''
Nuvvu Leka Nenu Lenu'' (2002), ''
Santosham'' (2002), ''
Seema Simham'' (2002), ''
Tagore
Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...
'' (2003), ''
Lakshmi Narasimha
Lakshmi Narasimha () is an iconographical depiction of Narasimha, the fourth avatar of Vishnu, with his consort Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. It is one of the forms of Nava Narasimha.
Legend
In an alternate iteration of the legend of Na ...
'' (2004), ''
Swarabhishekam'' (2004), ''
Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule
''Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule'' () is a 2007 Indian Telugu-language romantic drama film written and directed by Selvaraghavan (credited as Sri Raghava). The film stars Venkatesh and Trisha while Sriram, Kota Srinivasa Rao, K. Viswanath, ...
'' (2007), ''
Athadu
''Athadu'' () is a 2005 Indian Telugu-language action thriller film, written and directed by Trivikram Srinivas and produced by Jayabheri Arts. The film stars Mahesh Babu as a hitman hired to stage the assassination of a politician, only to be ...
'' (2005), and ''
Pandurangadu
''Pandurangadu'' is 2008 Telugu language, Telugu-language biographical film, based on the life of Pundalik, Pundarika, produced by K. Krishna Mohana Rao on R. K. Film Associates banner, directed by K. Raghavendra Rao. Starring Nandamuri Balakris ...
'' (2008), and ''
Devasthanam'' (2012). He essayed characters in Tamil works such as ''
Kuruthipunal'' (1995), ''
Mugavaree'' (1999), ''
Kakkai Siraginilae'' (2000), ''
Bagavathi'' (2002), ''
Pudhiya Geethai
''Pudhiya Geethai'' ( New Gita) is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language supernatural action drama film written and directed by newcomer K. P. Jagan. The film stars Vijay in the main lead role with Meera Jasmine and Ameesha Patel in the female lead rol ...
'' (2003), ''
Yaaradi Nee Mohini
''Yaaradi Nee Mohini'' () is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language romantic comedy film directed by Mithran Jawahar in his directorial debut. It is a remake of the 2007 Telugu hit Selvaraghavan's '' Aadavari Matalaku Arthale Verule'' and stars Dhanush ...
'' (2008), ''
Rajapattai
''Rajapattai'' () is a 2011 Indian Tamil-language masala film co-written and directed by Suseenthiran based on a story by Seenu Vasan. The film stars Vikram and Deeksha Seth. The music was composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja, the film is produced b ...
'' (2011), ''
Singam II
''Singam II'' is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by Hari. Produced by Prince Pictures, and distributed by 2D Entertainment, it is a sequel to ''Singam'' (2010) and the second installment in the ''Singam ...
'' (2013), ''
Lingaa
''Lingaa'' is a 2014 Indian Tamil-language action drama film written and directed by K. S. Ravikumar and produced by Rockline Venkatesh under Rockline Entertainments. It stars Rajinikanth in a dual role alongside, Anushka Shetty, Sonakshi ...
'' (2014) and ''
Uttama Villain
() is a 2015 Indian Tamil-language comedy drama film directed by Ramesh Aravind and written by Kamal Haasan, who co-produced the film with Chandrahasan under Raaj Kamal Films International and N. Lingusamy and N. Subash Chandrabose under T ...
'' (2015).
Television
Viswanath had also acted in a few television serials; ''Siva Narayana Teertha'' on
SVBC TV
Sri Venkateswara Bhakthi Channel (SVBC TV) is the pioneer devotional (bhakthi) channel of TTD. It is the first 24-hour satellite Telugu devotional channel dedicated to broadcasting Hindu devotional programs and live telecasts of poojas perfo ...
, ''
Chellamay'' on
Sun TV, and ''Suryiavamsam'' on
Vendhar TV
Vendhar TV is an Indian general entertainment television channel broadcasting in the Tamil
Tamil may refer to:
People, culture and language
* Tamils, an ethno-linguistic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and some other parts of Asia
**Sri La ...
. He also endorsed brands such as GRT Jewellers and appeared in television commercials.
Biopic
Viswadarshanam is an official
biopic
A biographical film or biopic () is a film that dramatizes the life of an actual person or group of people. Such films show the life of a historical person and the central character's real name is used. They differ from docudrama films and histo ...
of K Viswanath, written and directed by
Janardhana Maharshi
Janardhana Maharshi (born 16 May) is an Indian film director, writer, and producer, who works predominantly in Telugu cinema and Kannada cinema. He directed ''Devasthanam'' and '' Viswadarshanam''.
Early life
Maharshi was born in Kanduku ...
, which tells the story of a 90-year-old acclaimed director. The film was telecast on
ETV (Telugu)
ETV is an Indian Telugu language, Telugu-language general entertainment pay television channel. The channel was launched on 27 August 1995 focusing on the state of Andhra Pradesh (1956–2014), Andhra Pradesh. It is a part of the ETV Network own ...
on 19 February 2023, his 93rd birthday.
Personal life and death
Viswanath was married to Kasinadhuni Jayalakshmi. Actor
Chandra Mohan, and singers
S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and
S. P. Sailaja were his cousins.
Viswanath died on 2 February 2023, aged 92, in a private hospital in Hyderabad due to age-related issues.
Filmography
As director and screenwriter
As an actor
Other roles
Awards
;
Honorary doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
*
Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University
Suravaram Pratap Reddy Telugu University (SPTU), formerly Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (PSTU), is a public state university in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. It is one of the few Indian language universities in India.
University
It was e ...
Other honours
Notes
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Viswanath, Kasinadhuni
1930 births
2023 deaths
People from Guntur
Actors from Guntur district
Telugu film directors
Film directors from Andhra Pradesh
Indian male screenwriters
Hindi-language film directors
Male actors in Telugu cinema
Indian male film actors
Male actors in Tamil cinema
Indian male television actors
Recipients of the Padma Shri in arts
Filmfare Awards winners
Filmfare Awards South winners
Nandi Award winners
Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients
Male actors from Andhra Pradesh
20th-century Indian male actors
Male actors in Hindi cinema
Directors who won the Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment National Film Award
Directors who won the Best Film on National Integration National Film Award
South Indian International Movie Awards winners