K Viswanath passes away at 92

K Viswanath passes away at 92. Why the filmmaker par excellence was a guru and legend in Indian cinema

K Viswanath passes away at 92

He was an icon in Indian cinema who made films much ahead of their times on social issues that are relevant even today. Award-winning filmmaker, K Viswanath was not just a writer and director, but also an actor and mentor to many.

In Short

• K Viswanath passed away in Hyderabad.
• The writer and director is a legend in Indian cinema.
• His films dealt with social issues and human relationships.

By Latha Srinivasan: When this movie was released in 1980, it became an iconic film that the audience watched not once but repeatedly for the beautiful screenplay, the excellent direction and Kamal Haasan’s stellar performance. Sankarabharanam / Sagara Sangamam, written and directed by K Viswanath, celebrated Indian classical music, opened to near empty theatres but through word-of-mouth went on to run for nearly 25 weeks. This Telugu film has been hailed as one of the best Indian films to be made and K Viswanath became a legend, winning four National Awards for this film.

He went on to become an icon as many of his successful films, including Swati Kiranam, Swarna Kamalam, Sruthilayalu and Swarabhishekam, highlighted the importance of music in cinema. Working in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu cinema, K Viswanath was revered not just by actors but even filmmakers, technicians and producers for his knowledge and understanding of the art and craft, and how he could create cinema that emotionally connected with audiences. The passing away of cinema legend Kasinadhuni Viswanath on February 3 brings to an end the era of the masters of Indian cinema.

Watch Sanakarabharanam song:

MASTERY OVER THE CRAFT

The Sangeet director was born on February 19, 1930, at Pedapulivarru, Guntur district, and he actually began his career at the Vauhini Studios in Chennai as a sound recordist. He wanted to be a film director and became an assistant director to K V Reddy in 1951 for the Telugu-Tamil Film Pathala Bhairavi. He got an opportunity to debut as director in 1965 with the Telugu film, Aatma Gowravam, starring Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Kanchana and Rajasree, and the rest is history.

While Siri Siri Muvva (1976) showed his understanding of the craft, it was Sankarabharam (1980) that proved his mastery over it. In fact, many of director K Viswanath’s films were far ahead of their time. K Viswanath started to actively explore human relationships and social issues, and each of his films struck a chord with the audience. If he spoke about untouchability in Saptapadi, then he highlighted the respectability manual labour deserved in Subhodayam and Swayamkrushi.

Watch Swathi Muthyam scene:

But the director of Swati Muthyam also made women-oriented films which brought issues faced by women, like misogyny and discrimination, to the forefront. In Swati Muthyam, for instance, Kamal Haasan plays an autistic man who helps a young widow, Radhikaa, as she is abused by her family. Viswanath highlighted the importance of widow remarriage, which was considered a sin by some in society, in this film. In Subhalekha (1982), starring Chiranjeevi and Sumalata, he showcased the perils of the dowry system, which is still an important issue in Indian society.

Interestingly, the Subhapradam (2010) director turned actor in 1985 and shared screen space with many stars like Nandamuri Balakrishna, Nagarjuna, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. The last film he was seen in was Oppanda, a Kannada film, which released in 2022.

GURU TO MANY

K Viswanath was a guru/mentor to many people in the film industry, including stars like Kamal Haasan and Anil Kapoor, and was loved by all those whom he worked with. Every actor or filmmaker who has worked with him or met him, has come away with some advice that has helped them in their career and this is evident in the outpouring of grief seen on social media.

Kamal Haasan shared a close relationship with the director, who has also acted with the Ulaganayagan in several films, including Kurithipunal and Uttama Villain. The Vikram star worked with him in three films – Salangai Oli, Sippikul Muthu, and Paasa Vazhai – which are still talked about today. And Kamal always shows his respect towards him like he does with his other guru, K Balachander. In November 2022, Kamal spent several hours with the director at his home in Hyderabad, possibly a time he will cherish forever.

The director ventured into Hindi cinema with the remake of Subhalekha, titled Shubh Kaamna, in 1983. He remade Swati Muthyam in Hindi (1989) as Eeshwar with Anil Kapoor and the Mr India star has shared that K Viswanath was his guru. The list of celebrities who are mourning K Viswanath’s loss is endless. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shared his condolences stating he was a stalwart of Indian cinema.

The number of awards that K Viswanath has won shows how multifaceted and talented the actor-director was. He was a master craftsman and a legend who cannot be replaced. He is perhaps the only director who could combine parallel cinema and mainstream cinema successfully and in a manner which would appeal to a large section of the audience.

His films had all the commercial elements, like comedy, romance, action, sentiment, drama, but also managed to highlight social issues. His characters were relatable and his stories were filled with human emotion. He highlighted the importance of music in cinema and brought alive classical music in numerous films of his. He changed the definition of commercial cinema and the performances he extracted from his actors proved that he was a director sans pareil.

Indian cinema has lost a real legend on February 3 but the legacy K Viswanath leaves behind in Indian cinema is a masterclass for all present and future actors and filmmakers, and audiences.

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