AMN
Renowned film director and actor Kasinadhuni Viswanath has been selected for Dadasaheb Phalke Award for the year 2016. President Pranab Mukherjee will confer the award on 3rd of next month at a function in New Delhi.
The Award is given for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Cinema. The award consists of a Swarn Kamal and a cash prize of 10 lakh rupees.
Viswanath has made fifty films since 1965 on a wide range of social and human issues. His films have great appeal to the masses. His film, Sankarabharanam, is one of India’s most memorable classics.
Viswanath’s classical films Sankarabharanam (1979) and Sagara Sangamam (1983) were included among list of hundred greatest Indian films of all time. His directorial works Sankarabharanam and Saptapadi, have garnered the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Best Feature Film on National Integration, respectively.
He is also the recipient of five National Film Awards, six state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards, and a Bollywood Filmfare Award.[1] Viswanath’s Hindi films include Sargam, Kaamchor, Sanjog, Jaag Utha Insan, Eeshwar, Sur Sangam, Shubh Kaamna, Sangeet and Dhanwaan.Viswanath has received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending parallel cinema elements with mainstream commercial cinema.
Viswanath was born on 19 Feb 1930 in a Telugu speaking brahmin family to Kasinadhuni Subrahmanyam and Kasinadhuni Saraswatamma. His ancestral roots come from Pedapulivarru Andhra Pradesh, a small village on the banks of River Krishna.
Personal life.
Viswanath is married to Jaya Lakshmi and they have three children: Padmavati, Nagendranath and Ravindranath. He speaks fluent Telugu, Tamil, and English. He has six grand children- Hema, Swarna, Naren, Pranav, Sivani and Krishna Gayatri. His younger cousin, Chandra Mohan is a renowned actor.