Poornam Viswanathan (14 November 1921 – 1 October 2008) was an Indian actor who predominantly appeared in Tamil films. He started performing on stage at age 18. He worked as a reader for

All India Radio All India Radio (AIR), also known as Akashvani (), is India's state-owned public broadcasting, public radio broadcaster. Founded in 1936, it operates under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (India), Ministry of Information and Broa ...

, He was the first person in India to announce India was Independent on August 15 in All India Radio. He went on to act in films such as '' Chithram'', '' Varusham 16'', '' Thillu Mullu'', '' Keladi Kanmani'', '' Moondram Pirai'', ''

Aasai ''Aasai'' () () is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film, written and directed by Vasanth and produced by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Ajith Kumar, Suvaluxmi and Prakash Raj, with Rohini, Poornam Viswanathan, Nizhalgal Ravi ...

'', '' Mahanadhi'' and '' Varumaiyin Niram Sivappu''. He had a son and two daughters. Viswanathan died on 1 October 2008.Rediff Interview
Rediff.com (1947-08-15). Retrieved on 2011-08-09.

Career

Viswanathan was known for his remarkable performances in Tamil theatre and films. In every role he played, he paid great attention to dialogue delivery and body language. He started performing on stage when he was 18. He later moved to New Delhi for a few years, where he was part of the South Indian Troupe with dance and music critic Subbudu. Viswanathan worked as a news reader at

, and deemed it a matter of great pride to have announced the news of India obtaining independence in the first news bulletin broadcast on 15 August 1947. He was transferred to Chennai in 1964. His portrayal of roles in plays scripted by Marina, such as ''Thanikuduthanam'', ''Oor Vambu'' and ''Kaal Kattu'', won him great acclaim. His performances in plays such as ''Kadavul Vandirundar'', ''Adimaigal'' and ''Oonjal'' were similarly hailed by audiences. His passion for theatre inspired him to start a troupe of his own, called Poornam New Theatres. He served the Press Information Bureau in Chennai as an assistant information officer and later served as editor of ''Thittam'' and senior correspondent for ''Yojana'', magazines brought out by the Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry. He penned several plays and short stories. He was very interested in the fine arts and was often spotted at Sabhas during the December music festival. He is known in Kollywood for his peculiar voice modulation. He also starred in the Bollywood blockbuster ''Ek Duje Ke Liye'' (1981), in which he played the role of Kamal Hassan's strict father. He is also known to Malayalam audiences for his role in the blockbuster '' Chithram'' with Mohanlal.

Filmography

''This is a partial filmography. You can expand it.''

Tamil

Malayalam

Telugu

Hindi

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Viswanathan, Poornam 1921 births 2008 deaths Indian male stage actors Male actors in Malayalam cinema Indian male film actors Tamil male actors Male actors from Chennai Male actors in Tamil cinema 20th-century Indian male actors Recipients of the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award