Filmmaker K.Vishwanath's cultural triumph on celluloid

 

India's cultural heritage is a remarkable document of society's changing face through the ages. The enormous variety in style, films, media and themes is a pointer to the richness of Indian art and its evolution. Cinema can be described as a reflection of society, of the past or the present. In the late 1970s and early 80s, Telugu cinema was witnessing a phase that wasn’t really earning it plaudits. Outlandish costumes and a pop of colour bombs in song sequences were becoming markers of popular cinema. The 80s were characterised by bell bottoms, oversized sunglasses and floral prints in other film industries as well.

K Viswanath’s films stood out like a breath of fresh air. The characters in his films spoke like real people; they had concerns that mirrored real-life situations. Over the decades, any Telugu film aficionado would have heard and recounted tales of how Sankarabharanam (1979) opened to near-empty halls before it became a rage and ran to packed shows for over a year and its key actors Somayajulu and Manju Bhargavi enjoyed the popularity reserved for stars. The movie is a beautiful amalgamation of story, music and performance. The narrative is fluid, which is a hallmark of Viswanath’s work.

Viswanath’s films cannot be slotted into what was then called ‘art’ or ‘parallel’ cinema, though he steered clear of mainstream issues. His films drew audience, the music percolated well into popular realm and the stories and characters would be cherished for decades. Sagara Sangamam (1983) was a landmark film. It showed very gracefully that the protagonist need not be young and charming through the film. He could be flawed and yet be revered.

The best part of Viswanath’s films is that they remain rooted and effortless. They are not like he was setting out to make great cinema. They are more like he was just trying to tell a story in the best possible way he knew and it all seemed so organic and real.