K Vishwanath conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Award

One of Indian cinema's greatest directors K Vishwanath, who has delivered some of Telugu and Tamil cinema's finest classics, has finally been chosen for the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

The award, many feel, must have been presented to the veteran director a long time ago for his humongous contribution to Indian cinema. Vishwanath, who has won five National Awards, six Nandi Awards and 10 Filmfare Awards, is the writer director of several classics including Sankarabharanam (1980), Swathi Mutyam (Sippikkul Muthu in Tamil) (1986) and Sagara Sangamam (Salangai Oli in Tamil) (1983).

All of these films went on to become blockbusters and are considered classics. No wonder then that the news of his winning the award brought joy to the entire Tamil and Telugu film industries.

Union information and broadcasting minister M Venkaiah Naidu approved the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award committee for the latest recipient of the award, conferred by the government for outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema, an official statement said.

The award consists of a Swarn Kamal (Golden Lotus), a cash prize of Rs10 lakh and a shawl will be conferred by President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 May in New Delhi.

Actor Kamal Haasan, who played the lead in Sagara Sangamam and Swathi Mutyam, was moved by the announcement.

He took to Twitter to express his happiness by saying, "Thank u with glistening eyes Vishwanath gaaru for Sagara Sangamam. Like Balu of SS, I initiate more applause. Your fame is mine, vice versa. My K.Vishwanath gaaru is a Dada Saheb Palke award winner. In his humility, he would say " I am lucky" .Truth is Indians are lucky. So am I." (sic)

With inputs from IANS