Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore (SB)

Bangalore, Sep 26: This year's V Shantharam award recipient M V Krishnaswamy (87), one of the veterans of Kannada cinema, passed away on Saturday September 25.

Krishnaswamy known for directing two Kannada films, Papa Punya and Subba Sastry had a illustrious career as a filmmaker. He also acted as a hero in the film, Bharati opposite actress Padmini. Born in Belakavadi village near Melkote, Krishnaswamy studied in Maharaja’s College, Mysore.

He has many firsts to his credit. He is the first Indian to assist the legendary Italian filmmaker Roberto Rossellini on the sets of Viaggio in Italia, which starred Ingrid Bergman and also only one from Mysore to go to Paris, London and Rome in the late 40s to study films. He was also fortunate to have trained himself under masters like John Grierson to pick up documentary film-making, who also later nominated him as the secretary of the Overseas Film Club. He was the only one who could convince centenarian engineer Sir M Visvesvaraya for a documentary film on his life.

He headed various film institutions of the nation like Films Division, National Films Development Corporation and Censor Board among others.