K Viswanath No More: PM Narendra Modi 'Saddened By Stalwart's Demise'; Extends Condolences to Family

In what turned out to be a sad piece of news for the South film industry and cinema lovers, Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and renowned filmmaker Kasinadhuni Viswanath passed away. He died at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 92. Viswanath was unwell for some time and was suffering from age-related issues, sources said. He passed away at the hospital around midnight Thursday. The sad news of his demise has left every one is a state of shock. Several film personalities including Anil Kapoor, Jr NTR, AR Rahman and Mammootty paid emotional tributes to the legendary director.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to express sorrow on the director’s passing. “Saddened by the passing away of Shri K. Viswanath Garu. He was a stalwart of the cinema world, distinguishing himself as a creative and multifaceted director. His films covered various genres and enthralled audiences for decades. Condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” he tweeted.

Viswanath, popularly known as ‘Kalatapasvi’, was born in February 1930 in Andhra Pradesh. A prominent name not just in Telugu cinema but also in Tamil and Hindi films, he became the 48th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema. He was conferred with the award for the year 2016. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his condolences over the death of Viswanath, a release from the Chief Minister’s Office said.

Viswanath, who started his journey as a sound artiste, directed award-winning films such as “Sankarabharanam”, “Sagara Sangamam”, “Swati Mutyam”, “Saptapadi”, “Kaamchor”, “Sanjog” and “Jaag Utha Insaan” in his long career that included an equally successful stint in front of the camera.

Viswanath, who made 50 movies since 1965, was a celebrated filmmaker in the Telugu film industry. He had also been active in Tamil and Hindi cinema. He debuted as a director with “Aatma Gowravam”, which starred Akkineni Nageswara Rao and won the Nandi Award for the best feature film.

The filmmaker followed it with “Chelleli Kapuram”, “O Seeta Katha”, “Jeevana Jyoti” and “Sarada”. Viswanath also ventured into mainstream acting, working in movies like “Swarabhishekam” (which he directed as well), “Pandurangadu”, “Narasimha Naidu”, “Lakshmi Narasimha” and “Seemasimham”, “Kuruthipunal”, “Kakkai Siraginilae” and “Bagavathi”, among others.

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