November 04 2023 ·
Eight Films Shortlisted For K Viswanath Contest
Viswanath directed celebrated films such as Sankarabharanam, Swathi Muthyam, Sagara Sangamam, Sirivennela and Subhalekha, alongside Hindi films including Kaamchor, Sargam, Eeshwar and Shubh Kamna. His contribution to Indian cinema earned him several honours, including National Film Awards and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2017, India’s highest cinematic honour. He passed away on February 2, 2023, aged 92.
From 1,169 Registrations to Eight Finalists
Announced in April 2023, the contest invited aspiring filmmakers, including film school students, to submit their work. It received 1,169 registrations from 11 countries. Following an initial review, 177 films were shortlisted, and the programming team, led by Nikita Hattangady, selected 20 films for further evaluation.
An expert panel comprising filmmaker Bharath Kamma, singer and Viswanadhamrutham television series anchor Parthu Nemani, K. Viswanath’s son Kasinadhuni Nagendra, and filmmaker Vivek Athreya assessed the films on originality, creativity, technical excellence and emotional impact.
Eight films advanced to the final round. Seven were in Telugu and one, The Imam, in Hindi/Urdu. Two of the finalists were directed by women.
The Eight Finalists
- Ananya — Telugu, 27 minutes — Aishwarya Perambai
- Kittu Katha — Telugu, 21 minutes — Nikhil Kumar Reddy
- Sangamam — Telugu, 40 minutes — Naveen Gandhi
- Sivaagna — Telugu, 36 minutes — Shanmukha Karthik
- Sivaagnya — Telugu, 40 minutes — Sistla VMK
- Sreekaram — Telugu, 38 minutes — Srini Prabhala and Ram Mohan Komanduri
- Navarasa Madhanam — Telugu, 40 minutes — Prudhvi Raj Thumula
- The Imam — Hindi/Urdu, 40 minutes — Saba Mumtaz
Danji Thotapalli, Co-founder of Indica Pictures, noted that the selection process had involved several months of work. Kasinadhuni Nagendra had joined the team and contributed to the evaluation process, bringing a close understanding of his father’s cinematic legacy.
Grand Jury and Awards
The final eight films were to be evaluated by a distinguished Grand Jury comprising film producer Allu Aravind of Geetha Arts, producer Shobu Yarlagadda of Arka Media, actress and Kuchipudi danseuse Manju Bhargavi, and actress and Radaan Mediaworks owner Radikaa Sarathkumar.
The jury was tasked with identifying the three films that best reflected the cinematic sensibility associated with K. Viswanath. The winners were scheduled to be announced, with screenings of the films, on November 8, 2023, at Prasad Preview Theatre in Hyderabad.
The original contest announcement offered ₹5 lakh each to the top three winners, along with awards for Best Actor, Best Child Actor, Best Production, Best Screenplay and Best Direction among the finalist films.
Through this initiative, Indica Pictures sought to honour K. Viswanath’s enduring contribution to Indian cinema while encouraging a new generation of filmmakers to explore culturally rooted storytelling with artistic integrity and cinematic excellence.