S Narayan was an assistant director to Bhargava when he made many successful films with Vishnuvardhan. Chaithrada Premanjali, Narayan’s film as an independent director, did well too. He then turned hero in Bhama Sathyabhama, which was also a commercial success.
It was then that he went to Vishnuvardhan with a bound script of Veerappa Nayaka. Vishnuvardhan was very impressed, and the film became a runaway hit. More importantly, a successful team was born.
Their best was yet to come. The next film, Suryavamsha, a remake of Sharat Kumar's Tamil film Suryavamsham, went on to become the biggest grosser of the time, completing its silver jubilee in five centres and 100 days in 16 centres. Vishnuvardhan's performance in a double role fetched him many prestigious awards. The film was produced by H D Kumaraswamy, current Chief Minister of Karnataka.
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