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Tribute to Shri GV Iyer
Ganapathi Venkataramana Iyer also known as GV Iyer was born on 3rd September 1917 in Nanjangud in Mysore State. He started his career in acting at the age of 8 in Gubbi Veeranna theatre group where by he learnt the art of acting and other skills required for theatres.
His debut in silver screen started with Radha Ramana where his acting was appreciated for his performance and became one of the best character artist in Kannada film Industry. He acted on many films later on for few years.
His writing venture where he wrote for movie titled Bedara Kannappa in 1954 where Dr Rajkumar the most prominent star of Kannada film played the title role and film was marked as his first full length lead role. In 1960 G V Iyer, Rajkumar,Narasimharaju and Balakrishna produced a film directed by NC Rajan editor turned director titled Ranadheera Kanthirava from History records on Kanthirava Narasaraja I. The film was a blockbuster in that year. Thus it marked as a production and writing venture for G V Iyer.
He produced critically acclaimed movie Vamsa Vruksha based on novel written by famous Kannada writer SL Bhyrappa and directed by Girish Karnad and B V Karanth. The movie won national film award for best director. It marked debut for another major Kannada Film actor Vishnuvardhan. GV Iyer later directed and produced many Kannada film in 1970s.
He was proficient in both Sanskrit and Kannada which helped him where he made first sanskrit movie titled Adi Shankaracharya based on life of Adi Shankara in 1983 thus marking the beginning of Sanskrit film. He later went to make movie on Swami Madhavacharya in 1986 in Kannada and Swami Ramanujacharya in 1989 in Tamil thus made a film of proponents of three Philosophies like Advaitha,Vishistadvaitha and Dvaita.
In 1993 after the first sanskrit film he made the next sanskrit film titled Bhagvad Gita which was critically acclaimed.Later he made a movie on Swami Vivekananda 1998 which won best supporting actor award for Mithun chakraborty. He finally had a plan to Make Ramayana but passed away in 21 December 2003.
Ranadheera Kanthirava film marked as a cooperative film production by Kannada Chalanachitra Kalavidhara Sangha where by Dr Rajkumar and others invested their money as that time had cash crunch in film production. He produced DoorDarshan series Natyarani Shantala which was remade in Hindi. His sanskrit film both Adi Shankaracharya and BhagvadGita won National award for best film.
Thus let’s remember one of the finest director, actor and Producer in Indian Film Industry.
-Tribute by Srikaanth Sridhar
Srikaanth Sridhar
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