Thread by @veejaysai

Woke up to the news of the demise of director #KViswanath Garu. Had written this piece long ago for the leftist site, when he was awarded the prestigious #DadasahebPhalke award. K Viswanath was indeed the Renaissance Man of Telugu cinema.

Atma Shanti 🙏🏼 scroll.in/reel/836013/te…

Another older thread on his classic ‘Shankarabharanam’. This thread was written on 3rd Feb 2020, when the movie celebrated its 40th birthday!

And to think he would make his exit from this world on this very same date!! Really uncanny!

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https://twitter.com/veejaysai/status/1224246336008048640

Back to Vigyan Bhavan! That day, then VP Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu Garu had hosted a private party in his honour. I am hardly a ‘party person’ in the Delhi sense of it, but went and attended this. To meet the legend and thank him for his contribution to enriching our lives.

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https://twitter.com/veejaysai/status/860014151497863169

Someone asked him how he felt on receiving the award. He very casually said a few lines from a song in one of many golden movies.

నరుడి బ్రతుకు నటన
ఈశ్వరుడి తలపు ఘటన
ఆరెంటి నట్ట నడుమ
నీకెందుకింత తపన..

So profound! The state of his mind!

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I don’t know who will do it, but a detailed biography of #KVishwanath Garu, with in-depth analysis of his movies, his philosophy and rich artistic life is long long due!

His contribution to cinema is far more than so many others on who many books have been written!

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Each frame can tell you so much! Each movie a brilliant gem!

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Who will visualise such immortal songs now!? Nobody in Telugu cinema is capable!

Friends have been sending me different things. Adding them to this thread.

A sense of endless gratitude to director #KViswanath garu.

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Who remembers this very underrated movie! Soothradharulu!!

Some wonderful music in there too!

When Chiranjeevi gave one of his best performances!

This immortal scene from Swarna Kamalam. A reflection of the ugly reality that stands true even today, decades after this movie! #KViswanath Garu knew to drive a point home, very successfully!

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When Kamal gave one of his best performances! Kamal, the phenomenal actor we all loved! Not the current confused crackpot of a wannabe politician!

And What a movie this was!!

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Dir #KViswanath at work during this song!

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And this!! Swati Kiranam!! Yet another phenomenal movie!

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Dir #KViswanath Garu didn’t believe in the loud and crass flag-waving kind of western tropes of activism. That is easy to do. But not his style!

Even to talk about a social issue, aesthetics had to take the upper hand! Check this beautiful scene.

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Who remembers this scene from Sagara Sangamam!? When Kamal, the struggling dancer sees his name on the list of great dancers for a festival he never imagined he would ever perform in his life! The Tamil version isn’t exactly the same! Watch the Telugu original.

Now listen to Dir #KViswanath Garu talking about how this scene came about in an older talkshow with Kamal.

That chemistry between a visionary director and a seasoned actor!

Beautiful!

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Not many know that Dir #KViswanath Garu and playback singer SPB were cousins. This beautiful moment!

SPB must have been thrilled to have his Annayya with him now!

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Another assortment of songs from his movies. His scenography for each song, each line… absolutely impeccable! Only a director who knows his art thoroughly can actualise this level of detail!

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So much nuance in this scene! The dialogue, characterisation, situation, everything! And with such a profound sense of aesthetics!

Will Telugu cinema or Indian cinema ever have another director like #KViswanath Garu!?

Impossible!

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One can go on and on about him! And his great work! But he summed up himself in few lines! If only every director had this vision in him! But they don’t make such people anymore!

Will end this thread with this! 🙏🏼

Kasinadhuni Viswanath (1930 - 2023)

Shraddhanjali 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

A real ‘Kala Thapaswi’ 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼