87-year old renowned director Kasinadhuni Viswanath was on 24 April 2017 named for the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award for outstanding contribution to the film industry. He is a celebrated filmmaker in Telugu film industry but has also been active in Tamil and Hindi cinema.
– He is known for making films on content-driven stories that have revolved around social themes like disability, untouchability and the evils of dowry.
– He becomes the 48th recipient of the award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema, which consists of a golden lotus, a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs and a shawl.
– The recipient of five National Film Awards, Viswanath is known for his movies — “Sankarabharanam”, “Sagara Sangamam” (starring Kamal Haasan and Jayaprada), “Swati Mutyam”, “Saptapadi”, “Kaamchor”, “Sanjog” and “Jaag Utha Insaan” among others.
