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Veteran actress and politician Jaya Prada recalled shooting for the song ‘Parbat Ke Us Paar’ for the 1979 film ‘Sargam’ on the sets of the singing reality show ‘Indian Idol 13’. As part of the ‘Reena ji and Jaya ji Special’ episode, Jaya is coming on the show as a celebrity guest and was stunned to hear the beautiful voice of Debosmita Roy on some of her popular tracks such as ‘Parbat Ke Us Paar’ from ‘Sargam’ also starring Rishi Kapoor.

She made her Hindi film debut with this movie which was a remake of the Telugu film ‘Siri Siri Muvva’ which also featured Jaya and it made her successful in the South film industry.

Jaya applauded Debosmita and said: “You have changed the whole environment. You have taken me back to our old days. I’m reliving those beautiful scenes that I performed while filming the song through your vocals.”

Jaya...

In memoriamViswanath’s social commentary and love for classical art are things that can be learned and borrowed, but his deft hand that manoeuvres all these threads into a single tapestry of cohesive beauty belongs to him alone.Courtesy: Wikimedia.Commons/ UttamdabiWhen you are tasked with writing about a man who is a true master at what he did, your hands hover over the keyboard, not knowing where to start. Ever since K Viswanath’s recent demise, social media has been filled with videos of scenes from his 50 films, most of which can be considered masterpieces depending on who you are asking. Viswanath had managed to create a filmography teeming with cinema that tries to teach, without shortchanging the viewer's expectations. You can see his reverence for art in films as early as Kalam Marindi (1972). Films like O Seetha Katha (1974), Siri Siri Muvva (1976), and Seetamahalakshmi (1978) had characters practising some form of art.

Kasinadhuni Viswanath, an Indian filmmaker known for highlighting social issues, died Feb. 2 in Hyderabad of age-related illnesses. He was 92.

After serving as an assistant director for several years, Viswanath debuted as a director in 1965 with “Pathala Bhairavi.” A glittering career in the Telugu-language film industry followed with highlights including “Kalam Marindi” (1972), “Sarada” (1973), “O Seeta Katha” (1974), “Jeevana Jyoti” (1975), “Siri Siri Muvva” (1976), “Sankarabharanam” (1980), “Saptapadi” (1981), “Sagara Sangamam” (1983), “Swathi Muthyam” (1986), “Sirivennela” (1986), “Swayam Krushi” (1987) and “Aapadbandhavudu” (1992).

Viswanath also enjoyed a career in the Hindi-language film industry with several hit films including “Sargam” (1979), “Kaamchor” (1982), “Shubh Kaamna” (1983), “Jaag Utha Insan” (1984), “Sur Sangam” (1985), “Sanjog” (1985), “Eeshwar” (1989), “Sangeet” (1992) and “Dhanwan” (1993).

During the course of his filmmaking career the themes Viswanath tackled included the Indian caste system, disability, gender discrimination, misogyny, alcoholism and the challenges faced by Indian classical performing art forms.

K. Viswanath, Adurthi Subba Rao

His last film as director was “Subhapradam” (2010). He directed more than 50 films. He won...

CinemaHours after the news of K Viswanath’s passing came out, actor Kamal Haasan shared a moving handwritten note on Twitter, referring to himself as an “ardent fan” of the legendary Telugu filmmaker.Instagram “Kalathapasvi K Viswanath fully understood the transience of life and immortality of art. Hence, his art will be celebrated beyond his lifetime and reign. Long live his art,” actor Kamal Haasan wrote in a moving, handwritten note on Friday, February 3, in tribute to the late legendary filmmaker K Viswanath. Sharing the note on Twitter with the caption ‘salute to the master’, the actor referred to himself as an “ardent fan” of Viswanath — a five-time national award winner and the recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema. Viswanath, known for his craftsmanship in skilfully combining realism with commercial viability, passed away at a private hospital in Hyderabad on Thursday, at the age...

Chennai, Feb 3 (Ians) Celebrated actor Kamal Haasan has penned a heartfelt note for the late Telugu filmmaker K. Viswanath, who breathed his last on Thursday.

The two had worked on iconic films such as ‘Sagara Sangamam’, ‘Swathi Muthyam’ and ‘Subhasankalpam’, and Kamal Haasan considers Viswanath to be his mentor.

He tweeted: “Salute to a master.” The poignant words, followed by a tribute penned in the actor’s hand, are an indication of his esteem for the legendary director who highlighted Indian art and culture in his movies.

The letter reads: “Kalathapasvi K. Viswanath gaaru fully understood the transcience of life and immortality of art. Hence his art will be celebrated beyond his lifetime and reign. Long live his art. An ardent fan, Kamal Haasan.”

The two had first collaborated for the 1983 movie ‘Sagara Sangamam’, which showcased Kamal Haasan’s classical dance prowess as a proponent of Kuchipudi in Andhra Pradesh.

Hyderabad, Feb 3 (Ians) Former Vice-President M. Venkaiah Naidu, chief ministers and governors of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on Friday condoled the death of legendary Telugu filmmaker K. Vishwanath.

Venkaiah Naidu said he was deeply grieved to hear about the demise of the renowned film director. He noted that as a filmmaker, Vishwanath brought depth and dignity to the medium earning global recognition for his movies with a message.

Naidu said Vishwanath who was known as Kalathapasvi raised the status of Telugu cinema and made “us globally popular”.

He conveyed condolences to his family and fans and prayed for his soul to rest in peace.

The former Vice-President pointed out that Vishwanath started his film career as a sound recordist and won the Nandi Award at his first step as a director. “Giving great importance to language, culture and arts, his films portrayed the protagonists in ideal roles and stood as...

CondolencesK Viswanath was a recipient of several awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke and Lifetime Achievement awards.TwitterCondolences poured in for legendary filmmaker and actor K Viswanath who passed away on Thursday night, February 2 due to health related ailments in Hyderabad. He was 92. The director is known for turning movies into blockbusters through his directorial merit. A recipient of several awards, including the Dadasahebh Phalke and Lifetime Achievement award, the director was born in 1930 in Repalle of Andhra Pradesh. The director has made over 50 films in Telugu, Hindi and Tamil cinema since 1965. Some of his notable films include Swathi Muthyam(1985), Swayam Krushi (1987), Sagara Sangamam (1988), Subha Sankalpam(1995) among others. Several actors and politicians are grieving the death of the veteran filmmaker. From actors Kamal Haasan, Chiranjeevi, Mammooty, Radhika, Anil Kapoor, Venkatesh to politicians like former Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Andhra Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao among others,...

Hyderabad, Feb 3 (Ians) Legendary Telugu filmmaker K. Vishwanath, who also acted in some Tamil films, has passed away. He was 92.

Vishanath breathed his last at Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad late Thursday. He is survived by two sons and a daughter.

The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and five-time national award winner was suffering from age-related ailments. He will be cremated on Friday.

Born on February 19, 1930 in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district, he directed over 50 films.

Vishwanath was popular for iconic films such as Sankarabharanam, Sagara Sangamam, Swathi Muthyam and Swarna Kamalam. He also acted in Tamil movies like Yaaradi Nee Mohini, Rajapattai, Lingaa and Uttama Villain and shared screen space with the likes of Kamal Haasan, R. Parthiban and Ajith.

In 1992, he was awarded the Padma Shri and in 2016 he was conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest honour in India for the film industry. In a career spanning over four decades,...

DeathViswanath was unwell for some time and was suffering from age-related issues, sources said.TwitterBy Pti Dadasaheb Phalke awardee and renowned filmmaker Kasinadhuni Viswanath died at a private hospital in Hyderabad. He was 92. Viswanath was unwell for some time and was suffering from age-related issues, sources said. He passed away at the hospital around midnight Thursday, February 2. Viswanath, popularly known as 'Kalatapasvi', was born in February 1930 in Andhra Pradesh. A prominent name not just in Telugu cinema but also in Tamil and Hindi films, he became the 48th recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema. He was conferred with the award for the year 2016. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao expressed his condolences over the death of Viswanath, a release from the Chief Minister's Office said. Viswanath, who started his journey as a sound artiste, directed award-winning films such as Sankarabharanam, Sagara Sangamam, Swati Mutyam,...

SPBIn a career spanning over 50 years, Spb has sung around 40,000 songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.Megha KaveriLegendary singer Sp Balasubrahmanyam or Spb as he was popularly called, passed away in Chennai on Friday at 1.04 pm. The 74-year-old singer was admitted on August 5 to MGM Healthcare Hospital, a private facility, after testing positive for the novel coronavirus. He had been on life support since August 14, when his condition became critical. The singer’s son Sp Charan then revealed that he was responsive to treatment and expressed hope of a complete recovery. But Spb's health took a turn for the worse on September 24 and he succumbed to his illness on September 25. On August 5, the day he was admitted to the private hospital after being diagnosed with Covid-19, Spb had gone live on Facebook to reassure his fans, stating that his symptoms were mild. "Last two to three days I...

Dr Anjali (Revathy) and her husband Muralikrishna (Rao Ramesh) are at a theatre watching Sagara Sangamam for their 30th anniversary. It is the first film they watched together as a couple and they're here to re-live their memories. When Kamal Haasan appears on screen and breaks into his fiery dance, Dr Anjali blows him a kiss and giggles like a schoolgirl.

Bangalore, Versatile actor Kamal Hassan has started shooting for his new bilingual film which is a remake of the critically acclaimed Hindi film "A Wednesday". Kamal Hassan's production banner Raj Kamal has joined hands with Mumbai's Utv Studios for this film. Actor Chakri who had earlier worked in Kamal Hassan starrer "Sagara Sangamam" is making his debut as a director with this film. Kamal Hassan's daughter Shruthi Hassan will be composing the music of the film. Shruthi Hassan is a well known singer and actress, and she will be making her debut as a music director with this film. It has been almost an year since Kamal Hassan has faced the camera after completing the shooting of the block buster "Dasavathaaram" which raked in more than Rs.250 ...