Celebrated by film legends, winner of Prez medal, Iffi fails to recognise Margao's ace lensman

Margao: K Vaikunth, a cinematographer from Margao, was the maestro whose works were feted by President’s Medals and celebrated by India’s film legends, but the public memory of his genius has faded out.

Vaikunth made cinematic success light up his home state at the third International Film Festival of India (Iffi) in 1965.

The documentary ‘And Miles to Go’, produced by S Sukhdev, which won the Bengal Tiger Award at that Iffi edition, was shot by Vaikunth. He went on to become the ace cinematographer of his time.

Vaikunth died on Feb 9, 2003. His son, K Atish alias Atish Kuncolienkar, also an acclaimed cinematographer, passed away on April 8 this year.

A demand for a befitting tribute for Vaikunth and Atish has now gained ground. Prabhav Naik of Madganvcho Awaaz has urged chief minister Pramod Sawant to honour them with a special tribute at Iffi 2024.

“Both of them brought accolades to Goa with their contributions to the film industry,” Naik said. “Vaikunth also trained and mentored many filmmakers. Their significance needs to be recognised.”

Born on Aug 25, 1925, in Margao, Vaikunth Dattaram Kuncolienkar, assumed the screen name K Vaikunth, after realising that his Goan surname, besides being a tad difficult to pronounce, would also be an indicator of his family status. A profession in the arts did not command much respect in those times.

Vaikunth thus stepped into the world of glitz and glamour when India was still under the foreign yoke.

‘Garam Coat’ (1956) was the first feature film that Vaikunth shot independently, which won him acclaim and earned appreciation from the stalwarts of his time in the world of cinema. Vaikunth’s debut in the film industry was marked by a series of hits as a documentary cinematographer.

His first documentary, ‘The Story of Kashmir,’ produced and directed by Rajbhans Khanna, won the President’s Medal and other international awards.

His next project, ‘The Great Betrayal,’ also by Rajbhans, made in 1964 immediately after the Chinese attack on India, catapulted Vaikunth to the big screen of fame as the short film too won the President’s Medal and several other prestigious awards. He rode on the crest of success but gained popularity for his down-to-earth persona.



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