View source for G. V. Iyer

{{Short description|Indian filmmaker (1917–2003)}}
{{EngvarB|date=August 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Ganapathi Venkatramana Iyer
| image         = GV Iyyer Filmmaker.jpg
|native_name_lang=kn
| alt         = G. V. Iyer, Indian film-director
| caption     =
| birth_date =  {{Birth date|df=yes|1917|9|3}}
| birth_place = [[Nanjanagud]], [[Princely State of Mysore|Mysore State]], [[British India]]
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|df=yes|2003|12|21|1917|9|3}}
| death_place = [[Mumbai]], [[Maharashtra]], India
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
Kannada Bheeshma
| known_for   = [[Sanskrit]] film direction
| occupation  = Actor, film director, screenwriter
| notable_works  = ''[[Adi Shankaracharya (film)|Adi Shankaracharya]]'' (1983)<br/>''[[Bhagavad Gita (film)|Bhagavad Gita]]'' (1993)<br/>''[[Swami Vivekananda (1998 film)|Swami Vivekananda]]'' (1998) <br/> ''[[Madhvacharya (film)|Madhvacharya]]'' (1987)
}}
'''Ganapathi Venkataramana Iyer''' (3 September 1917 – 21 December 2003) was an [[Cinema of India|Indian film]] director and actor. He was nicknamed "Kannada Bheeshma".<ref name="jointscene">{{cite web|title=G.V. Iyer|url=https://www.egkhindi.com/g-v-iyer-%e0%a4%9c%e0%a5%80%e0%a4%b5%e0%a4%a8-%e0%a4%aa%e0%a4%b0%e0%a4%bf%e0%a4%9a%e0%a4%af/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210603092801/https://www.egkhindi.com/g-v-iyer-%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A8-%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%AF/|archive-date=3 June 2021|url-status=live|publisher=Egkhindi}}</ref> His film ''[[Adi Shankaracharya (film)|Adi Shankaracharya]]'' (1983) won four [[National Film Award (India)|National Film Award]], including [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|Best Film]], [[National Film Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]], [[National Film Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and [[National Film Award for Best Audiography|Best Audiography]].<ref name="31staward">{{cite web|url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm31stNFAAward.aspx|title=31st National Film Awards|publisher=[[India International Film Festival]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112200555/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm31stNFAAward.aspx|archive-date=12 November 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="31stawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/31st_nff_1984.pdf|title=31st National Film Awards (PDF)|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|archive-date=24 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424114953/http://dff.nic.in/2011/31st_nff_1984.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> His film [[Swami Vivekananda (1998 film)|Swami Vivekananda]] (1998) was nominated in the Best Film category at the [[Bogotá Film Festival]], for which [[Mithun Chakraborty]] won the national award for Best Supporting Actor.
==Early life==
He was born in 1917 in an orthodox [[brahmin]] family in [[Nanjangud]] of [[Mysore]] district.<ref>{{Cite web|title=|url=https://thehinduimages.com/details-page.php?id=2102780}}</ref>
==Career==
{{more citations needed section|date= January 2023}}
He started his career at the age of eight when he joined the [[Gubbi Veeranna]] theatre group.<ref>{{cite web|title=GV Iyer Movies Collectors Set|url=http://www.kannadastore.com/kannada-video-cd-gv-iyer-movies-collectors-set-p-2710.html|access-date=9 March 2012|archive-date=29 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329105312/http://www.kannadastore.com/kannada-video-cd-gv-iyer-movies-collectors-set-p-2710.html|url-status=live}}</ref> His first role as an actor in cinema was in the film ''[[Radha Ramana (film)|Radha Ramana]]''. Besides this he acted in a number of other movies such as ''[[Mahakavi Kalidasa]]'', ''Sodhari'', ''Hemavati'', ''Hari Bhaktha'' and ''[[Bedara Kannapa]]''. He is credited with providing breaks to two of the greatest [[Kannada]] actors, [[Dr. Rajkumar]] and [[Narasimharaju (Kannada actor)|Narasimha Raju]] in the movie Bedara Kannappa. Though Raj Kumar had acted in a single scene in a movie previously, the movie [[Bedara Kannappa]] where Mr Iyer cast him as the hero, is where he got his break and is regarded generally as his first movie. Iyer also produced the critically acclaimed movie [[Vamsha Vriksha]]. Based on an acclaimed novel by [[S L Bhairappa]], it was jointly directed by [[B V Karanth]] and [[Girish Karnad]].
He soon started directing his own movies. The movie ''Hamsageethe'' (music by Dr. [[Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna|Balamuralikrishna]], [[B. V. Karanth]] and T.G. Lingappa) was well received and made him famous. Iyer wrote scripts, lyrics and produced and directed many commercial [[Kannada]] movies. Iyer's biggest effort was ''[[Ranadheera Kanteerava]]''. He continued to make commercial movies until 1970.
In his younger days, he was committed to [[Gandhi]] and his ideals. He stopped wearing footwear from the day Gandhi died and never wore them again. He also wore hand-spun clothes colloquially called "Khadi" as was advocated by Gandhi.
He was proficient in both [[Kannada]] and [[Sanskrit]] and was soon to make the first movie in Sanskrit, about the famous philosopher ''[[Adi Shankaracharya (film)|Adi Shankaracharya]]'' (1983). The movie received the [[National Film Awards]] for [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|Best Film]], [[National Film Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]], [[National Film Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and [[National Film Award for Best Audiography|Audiography]]. It is believed that the movie made a great impact on Iyer.
He later made [[Madhvacharya (film)|a film]] on [[Madhvacharya]] in Kannada and [[Ramanuja]]charya in Tamil. He also made a remarkable Sanskrit movie ''[[Bhagavad Gita (film)|Bhagavad Gita]]'' (1993), which won [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|Best Film]] at the [[National Film Awards]] of 1993.<ref>{{cite web|title=National Film Awards, India|url=https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000467/1993|publisher=IMDb|access-date=9 March 2012|archive-date=2 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120602212924/http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000467/1993|url-status=live}}</ref> The film was also nominated for Best Film at the [[Bogotá]] Film Festival.
He produced ''Natyarani Shanthala'', a historical television series on the [[Hoysala]] [[Jain]] queen Shanthala, who was married to a [[Vaishnava]] King. It was re-made in [[Hindi]] as well as in Kannada. It was based on several works by Samethanahalli Rama Rao in Kannada.
He later went on to make a movie ''[[Swami Vivekananda (1998 film)|Swami Vivekananda]]''. It was an attempt to portray [[Swami Vivekananda]], realistically. For this film [[Mithun Chakraborty]] won a national award for Best Supporting Actor. [[Mithun Chakraborty]] played Shri Ramkrishna Paramhansa. Though it had many famous actors such as [[Mithun Chakraborty]], [[Hema Malini]] and [[Sarvadaman Banerjee]], the movie failed commercially.
He was planning a film based on the [[Hindu]] epic ''[[Ramayana]]'', with [[Sanjay Dutt]] playing the role of [[Ravana]], before his sudden death on 21 December 2003 at the age of 87. His last rites took place at his Bharadhwaja Ashrama, near Dodda Aladamara, on the outskirts of Bangalore, near [[Kengeri]].<ref name="jointscene" /><ref>{{cite web|title=G.V.Iyer Is No More|url=http://www.mysoresamachar.com/gv_iyer_dead.htm|access-date=9 March 2012|archive-date=5 October 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091005023228/http://www.mysoresamachar.com/gv_iyer_dead.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Filmography==
{{unreferenced section|date= January 2023}}
===Director, Writer and producer===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:35px;"| Year
! rowspan="2" style="width:250px;"| Film
! colspan="3" style="width:195px;"| Credited as
! rowspan="2" style="text-align:center; width:80px;"| Language
! rowspan="2"  style="text-align:center; width:250px;" class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
! style="width:65px;" | Director
! width=65 | Writer
! width=65 | Producer
|-
|1954 || ''[[Bedara Kannapa]]'' || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1960 || ''[[Ranadheera Kanteerava]]'' || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1962 || ''[[Bhoodana]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1962 || ''Thai Karulu'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1962 || ''Thayin Karuna'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1962 || ''[[Gaali Gopura]]'' || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada || Lyrics only
|-
|1963 || ''[[Bangari (1963 film)|Bangari]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1963 || ''[[Saaku Magalu]]'' || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada || Dialogues only
|-
|1963 || ''[[Lawyer Magalu]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1964 || ''[[Post Master]]''|| style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1965 || ''[[Pazhani (1965 film)|Pazhani]]''|| style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Tamil || Original story
|-
|1966 || ''[[Kiladi Ranga]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1967 ||''[[Rajashekara]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1967 ||''[[Gange Gowri]]'' || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada || Dialogues only
|-
|1968 ||''[[Mysore Tanga]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1968 ||''Nane Bhagyavathi'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1969 ||''Chowkada Deepa'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1969 ||''Vichitra Samsara'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1975 ||''Aakhri Geet'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1975 ||''[[Hamsageethe]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || Kannada ||
|-
|1977 ||''Nalegalannu Maduvavaru'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1977 ||''Kudre Motte'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1983 ||''[[Adi Shankaracharya (film)|Adi Shankaracharya]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Sanskrit || [[Madhu Ambat]] won national award for Best Cinematography.
|-
|1986 ||''[[Madhvacharya (film)|Madhvacharya]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1989 ||''[[Ramanujacharya (film)|Ramanujacharya]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Tamil ||
|-
|1989 ||''Wall Poster'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada ||
|-
|1993 ||''[[Bhagavad Gita (film)|Bhagvad Gita: Song of the Lord]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Sanskrit ||
|-
|1998 ||''[[Swami Vivekananda (1998 film)|Swami Vivekananda]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Hindi ||  [[Mithun Chakraborty]] won national award for Best Supporting Actor.
|-
|2001 ||''[[Sri Krishna Leela (film)|Sri Krishna Leela]]'' || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"| {{y}} || style="text-align:center;"|  || Kannada || Unreleased
|}
===Actor===
* ''[[Radha Ramana (film)|Radha Ramana]]'' (1943)
* ''[[Bedara Kannappa]]'' (1954)
* ''[[Sodari (film)|Sodari]]'' (1955)
* ''Bhakta Mallikarjuna'' (1955)
* ''Sadarame'' (1956)
* ''[[Jagajyothi Basveshwara]]'' (1959)
* ''[[Ranadheera Kanteerava]]'' (1960)
* ''Kantheredu Nodu'' (1961)
* ''[[Bhoodana]]'' (1962)
* ''Vamsha Vriksha'' (1971)
* ''Hemavathi'' (1977)
==Awards==
{{more citations needed section|date= January 2023}}
* [[31st National Film Awards|1983]]: [[National Film Award (India)|National Film Award]]
** [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|Best Film]]: ''[[Adi Shankaracharya (film)|Adi Shankaracharya]]''
** [[National Film Award for Best Screenplay|Best Screenplay]]: ''[[Adi Shankaracharya (film)|Adi Shankaracharya]]''
*[[40th National Film Awards|1993]]: [[National Film Award (India)|National Film Award]]
** [[National Film Award for Best Feature Film|Best Film]]: ''[[Bhagavad Gita (film)|Bhagavad Gita]]''<ref name="40thaward">{{cite web|url=http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm40thNFAAward.aspx|title=40th National Film Awards|publisher=[[India International Film Festival]]|access-date=2 March 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160602174839/http://iffi.nic.in/Dff2011/Frm40thNFAAward.aspx|archive-date=2 June 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref name="40thawardPDF">{{cite web|url=http://dff.nic.in/2011/40th_nff_1993.pdf|title=40th National Film Awards (PDF)|publisher=[[Directorate of Film Festivals]]|access-date=2 March 2012|archive-date=9 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309053748/http://dff.nic.in/2011/40th_nff_1993.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
*1993: Bhagavad Gita – nominated for Best Film at the Bogotá Film Festival in Golden Precolumbian Circle.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}}
** [[Filmfare Award for Best Director – Kannada]]: ''[[Hamsa Geethe]]''- 1976
** [[Filmfare Award for Best Film – Kannada]]: ''[[Vamsha Vriksha]]''- 1972
==See also==
* [[List of Indian film directors]]
==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
==External links==
* {{IMDb name|0412676}}
{{NationalFilmAwardBestScreenplay}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyer, G. V.}}
[[Category:1917 births|Iyer, GV]]
[[Category:2003 deaths|Iyer, GV]]
[[Category:Kannada film producers|Iyer, GV]]
[[Category:Kannada film directors|Iyer, GV]]
[[Category:Male actors from Mysore]]
[[Category:Kannada screenwriters]]
[[Category:Filmfare Awards South winners]]
[[Category:Indian Sanskrit scholars]]
[[Category:Male actors in Kannada cinema]]
[[Category:Writers from Mysore]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:Film producers from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Tamil screenwriters]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian dramatists and playwrights]]
[[Category:Film directors from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from Karnataka]]
[[Category:Best Original Screenplay National Film Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian screenwriters]]