K Vishwanath wins Dadasaheb Phalke award: Five classics by the legendary director that you need to watch

Sankarabharanam: K Vishwanath’s films were culturally rich and espoused the social model. Culture, music and dance always played a prominent role in the progression of the story. In Sankarabharanam, the director showcased guru-shishya relationship between a man and a prostitute, and how the society raised question at the guru because of his associations. The film beautifully gave the message that art does not differentiate between caste, class or religion.

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Driven by emotions, the film is for everyone who loves music and enjoys films that talk about relationships that go beyond romance. JV Somayajulu, the late veteran actor, was the lead of the film and garnered many awards for his performance. In fact, the film has received four National Film Awards including the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and five state Nandi Award.

Sagara Sangamam: Kamal Haasan is professionally trained in various classical dance forms and perhaps that’s the reason why director K Vishwanath preferred to take him as the lead in his films. This director-actor duo has given tremendous performances together and Sagara Sangamam is one of the finest examples. Kamal Haasan’s character is a trained Kuchipudi dancer who wants to make it big in the industry without letting go of his principles. He falls in love with Jaya Prada but his life goes topsy-turvy with his talent and love life taking a hit. But why does he give up dancing and becomes an art critic for a newspaper is something really interesting to watch.

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The film has received two National Film Awards, three Filmfare Awards in South. It also won the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film (Bronze). In fact, the film was dubbed in Russian language and was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival post its Indian success.

Swati Mutyam: We have always heard that love is beyond life but the saying comes alive through this film starring Kamal Haasan and Radhika. Written and directed by K Vishwanath, the film is about an autistic man who falls for a widow. The film battled two evils of the society. It spoke about re-marriage of a widow and brought under limelight the difference between autism and mental illness. If you believe in forever, this film is a must watch.

Watch Swati Mutyam song: 

The cult classic was selected under the category of the Best Foreign Language Film for Academy Awards in 1986, but was not nominated. However, it won a lot of precious awards like National Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, the Nandi Award for Best Feature Film and the Filmfare South Award for Best Direction. The film was remade in Hindi as Anil Kapoor-starrer Eeshwar.

Siri Siri Muva: Have you seen Sargam starring Rishi Kapoor? Well, if you have then we wouldn’t have to explain why the film stands apart but if you haven’t then Sargam is the remake of Siri Siri Muva. The Hindi film’s song Dafli Wale Dafli Baja is one of the evergreen songs in Rishi Kapoor’s career.

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Siri Siri Muva portrayed the love story of a speech-impaired girl who loves to dance and aspires to be a famous personality. She meets a musician who does all that it takes to make her dream come true.

Swayamkrushi: Some stories leave you inspired and Swayamkrushi is one such story where the director portrays the message that there are no short cuts to success. Starring Chiranjeevi and Vijayasanthi, the story revolves around a man who is a cobbler and because of his dedication he becomes a rich man. However, the journey isn’t as easy as it seems. Chiranjeevi received Nandi award for his acting in the film.

Watch Swayamkrushi’s song:

K Vishwanath would receive a golden lotus, a cash prize of Rs 10 lakhs and a shawl as part of Dadasaheb Phalke Award, considered the highest recognition in Indian cinema, which will be conferred by President Pranab Mukherjee at a function on May 3 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke award committee to recognise the director’s contribution was approved by I&B Minister M Venkaiah Naidu today.

As soon as the news was announced, ace actors like Kamal Haasan, Junior NTR, Allu Arjun and many others took to Twitter to share their excitement.

His other awards include a Padma Shri in 1992, five National Awards, 20 Nandi Awards (given by the Andhra Pradesh government) and 10 Filmfare Awards including Lifetime Achievement.