Conferring the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award on veteran director K Viswanath, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, has extolled him in high terms.

Minister M Venkaiah Naidu, proud to announce the veteran's name for the award. The citation-like description issued officially by the Minister goes like this: "A presenter of classical and traditional art, music and dance, Shri K Viswanath has been a guiding force in the Indian film industry. As a director he has made fifty films since 1965 known for their strong content, endearing narrative, honest handling and cultural authenticity. His films on wide range of social & human issues had great appeal to the masses".

It further raises a toast to the director's Midas Touch. "An ardent art lover, he made a series of films based on varied themes of art, music and dance. His films empathized with courage and frailty, aspirations and convictions, perseverance and distractions, social demands and individual struggle and at the core believed in the goodness of the human spirit". The last line indeed sizes up the masterful director's philosophical story-telling.

"The stories that Shri K Viswanath told through his films were seemingly simple. They provide an uncomplicated, direct and pleasant cinematic enjoyment to the audience. At the same time they lend themselves to a nuanced and layered interpretation leading many to watch them again and again and come back with a new hitherto unseen aspect or a deeper understanding and realization," the official statement further reads.

'Sirivennela' and 'Sankarabharanam' were specifically mentioned by the Ministry as great piece of cinema from the fine director. Known for "wholesome family entertainers", Viswanath's films also have a "share of humor, sentiment and possess scenic beauty, good music, powerful and realistic characters".