K Jayalakshmi, wife of legendary filmmaker K Viswanath, has passed away in Hyderabad. She was 88. Her death comes just 24 days after the demise of her husband on February 2. Reports suggest that Jayalakshmi was admitted at a hospital in Hyderabad after she developed health issues.
Jayalakshmi who hails from Kurnool district is survived by her children Ravindranath Viswanath, Nagendranath Viswanath and Padmavathi Viswanath.
Actors Chiranjeevi and Pawan Kalyan, reportedly visited her at the hospital after hearing news about her ill-health.
Viswanath, who was a five-time National award winner and a Dada Saheb Phalke Award recipient had directed many iconic films like ‘Sankarabharanam', ‘Sagara Sangamam’ etc in Telugu and Tamil. He has also acted in ‘Yaaradi Nee Mohini,’ ‘Linga’ and ‘Uthama Villain.’ and shared screen space with the likes of Kamal Haasan, R Parthiban and Ajith.
In 1992, he was awarded the Padma Shri and in 2016 he was conferred with Dadasaheb Phalke award, the highest honour in India for the film industry. In a career spanning over four decades, he also won the Filmfare awards eight times.
Vishwanath began his career as an audiographer for Vauhini Studios in Madras. He later started filmmaking career under Adurthi Subba Rao and worked as an assistant director in the 1951 Telugu film 'Pathala Bhairavi'.
