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Filmmaker who celebrated nation's pluralism

Special Correspondent

— Photo: R. Ragu

CULTURAL AMBASSADOR: K.S. Sarma, chief executive officer, Prasar Bharati (right), presents the Lifetime Achievement Award to S. Krishnaswamy at the South India Film Chamber of Commerce on Saturday. Prince of Arcot Mohammed Abdul Ali, chairman, felicitation committee, looks on.

CHENNAI: The Lifetime Achievement Award of the U.S. International Film and Video Festival was given to S. Krishnaswamy, founder of Krishnaswamy Associates, in recognition of his "inculcating a sense of national pride and spreading awareness about Indian culture and heritage" through his documentaries, speakers at a function to felicitate the filmmaker here on Saturday said.

The felicitation was organised by the Catalyst Trust. Dr. Krishnaswamy is the first filmmaker from Asia and Africa to be given the award.

The award had been handed over in June 4, 2005 to India's Consul General in San Francisco as Mr. Krishnaswamy was convalescing after a coronary bypass surgery in Chennai.

As India's cultural ambassador, Dr. S. Krishnaswamy had celebrated the country's pluralism and cultural diversity through his films and thus attempted to make a qualitative difference to Indian documentaries, N. Ram, editor-in-chief, The Hindu, said. Dr. Krishnaswamy's films were non-superficial and had shown that the hallmark of good cinema was a sincerity of purpose combined with technical excellence. Through his art, he espoused freedom of thought and expression, Mr. Ram said.

Dr. Krishnaswamy had highlighted the country's secular tradition through his work and his films spanned a versatile range of subjects from culture to politics, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, the Prince of Arcot and chairman of the Catalyst Trust, said.

The filmmaker spread the message of national pride through his films.

In recognition of his excellence, Prasar Bharati had commissioned him to do a film, Imprints of India, on the impact of the Indian ethos on its sub-continental neighbours, K.S. Sarma, Chief Executive Officer, Prasar Bharati, said while giving away the award to Dr. Krishnaswamy.

Others who offered their felicitations included dancer Padma Subramaniam, philanthropist Nalli Kuppuswami Chetti, senior advocate Nalini Chidambaram, writer D. Jayakanthan and actor Charuhasan.

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