PNS | HYDERABAD
Kasinadhuni Viswanath, legendary Indian film director, screenwriter and actor, passed away on Thursday night.He has been suffering from age-related ailments for a few days. Due to serious health issues, he was taken to Apollo Hospital in the city. He was born on February 19, 1930 at Repalle in Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh.He is a recipient of five National Film Awards, seven state Nandi Awards, 10 Filmfare Awards South and a Filmfare Award in Hindi.
He received the Andhra Pradesh state Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and the civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of arts. In 2017, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema.
Viswanath started his film career as an audiographer and in 60 years, he has directed 53 feature films in a variety of genres, including films based on performing arts, visual arts, and aesthetics.
He received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream commercial cinema. 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. His work Sankarabharanam highlights the neglect of traditional Indian music under the increasing influence of Western music.
