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Documentary Filmmaker S. Krishnaswamy Dies at 88 in Chennai

He was a prolific chronicler of Indian history whose films and books earned national and international honors.

Overview

  • His daughter, Gita Krishnaraj, said he had been under treatment for a heart ailment and went to the hospital on Sunday evening, where he died.
  • Over a career spanning decades, he produced more than 900 non-fiction films after founding Krishnaswamy Associates in 1963.
  • His landmark four-hour film Indus Valley to Indira Gandhi (1976) was shot at about 100 locations and secured international distribution rights from Warner Brothers.
  • Honors included the Padma Shri in 2009 and the Dr. V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mumbai International Film Festival in 2020, alongside earlier international prizes.
  • A Columbia University-trained documentarian, he authored Voyages Retraced in February 2025, co-authored Indian Film with Erik Barnouw, and is survived by his wife Mohana and three children.