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Internationally acclaimed documentary and tv filmmaker S. Krishnaswamy, who produced implicit 900 non-fiction films including the famed “Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi”, passed distant connected Sunday (December 28, 2025) evening astatine a infirmary successful Chennai. He was 88.
He had been nether attraction for a bosom ailment and had gone to the infirmary successful the evening, said his girl Gita Krishnaraj. He is survived by his woman Mohana Krishnaswamy, and 3 children Latha Krishna, Gita Krishnaraj, and Bharat Krishna.
Born successful Chennai, past Madras, to iconic movie manager K. Subrahmanyam and lyricist Meenakshi Subrahmanyam, helium joined Columbia University successful the U.S. successful 1960 and studied wide communications with a peculiar notation to documentary films. He founded his steadfast Krishnaswamy Associates successful 1963.
His magnum opus, the four-hour-long movie traversing 5,000 years of subcontinental history, titled ‘Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi’, was released successful December 1976. It was changeable successful 100 locations crossed the state and the rights for its planetary organisation were bought by the Warner Brothers.
Among his works were ‘Unknown Freedom Fighters’ (1978); ‘Rajaji’ (1979); ‘Kamaraj’ (1981); ‘With Apologies to Tagore’ (1987), a five-minute, hilarious portrayal of the authorities of the federation with animation; ‘Jaya Jaya Sankara’ (1991), a movie connected the Kanchi Mutt; and ‘Reality Behind Religion’ (1992), which emphasised the request for brotherhood and knowing among the followers of assorted religions. His different films covering governmental leaders included those connected R. Venkataraman and C. Subramaniam, some released successful 2002, and M.G. Ramachandran successful 1984.
In the 1980s, Mr. Krishnaswamy produced films connected the analyzable problems of Punjab and Sri Lanka, highlighting the operations of the Indian defence forces. The taxable of electoral reforms did not flight his imagination, which was reflected successful ‘Who loses erstwhile India wins’ (2006).
In 2009, helium received the Padma Shri and successful 2020, the Dr. V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award for his publication to documentary films astatine the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF). His different awards see the Honor Summus Award of the Watumull Foundation, Hawaii, the Lifetime Achievement Award successful 2005 astatine the U.S. International Film and Video Festival, Los Angeles, successful 1987.
He authored respective books including 1 brought retired by The Hindu titled Voyages Retraced: India’s Influence successful East Asia successful February 2025. The publication gave an penetration into past India’s interaction connected southeast Asian countries, and a signifier successful past erstwhile Indian sailors travelled to countries specified arsenic Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, and became conduits for spreading Indian culture, architecture and good arts to these countries implicit centuries. It was a communicative of his travels betwixt 2005 and 2010.
He besides co-authored the book Indian Film with Professor Erik Barnouw. During the penning of the book, the authors had camped successful Darjeeling for a fewer weeks wherever Satyajit Ray was filming his Kanchenjunga.
