Kasinadhuni Viswanath honoured with Dada Saheb Phalke Award

President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 May 2017 conferred filmmaker Kasinadhuni Viswanath with the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award at the 64th National Film Awards ceremony in New Delhi.

Viswanath is the 48th recipient of the Phalke award, the highest recognition in Indian cinema.

About Kasinadhuni Viswanath

• Born on 19 February 1930, Kasinadhuni Viswanath is an Indian audiographer turned director, screenwriter, and character actor known for his works in Telugu, Tamil and Hindi cinema.

• He is a recipient of five National Film Awards, six state Nandi Awards, ten Filmfare Awards South, and a Bollywood Filmfare Award.

• In a film career spanning sixty years, he directed fifty three feature films in a variety of genres.

• He is known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream commercial cinema.

• In 1981, he was honoured with the "Prize of the Public" at the Besancon Film Festival of France.

• In 1992, he received the Andhra Pradesh state Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and the civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of arts.

• He directed award-winning films such as "Sankarabharanam", "Sagara Sangamam", "Swati Mutyam", "Saptapadi", "Kaamchor", "Sanjog" and "Jaag Utha Insaan," and others.

About Dada Saheb Phalke Award

• The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema.

• It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals.

• The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema."

• The award comprises a Swarna Kamal (Golden Lotus) medallion, a shawl, and a cash prize of Rs 1000000.

• The prestigious award was first presented in the year 1969.

• The award was introduced by the Government of India to commemorate Dadasaheb Phalke's contribution to Indian cinema.

• The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani.

• Actor Prithviraj Kapoor is the sole posthumous recipient of the honour.