Private Master is a 1967 Indian Telugu-language drama film directed by K. Viswanath. The titular private master is played by Ram Mohan with Krishna as the main antagonist. The film title Private Master is special for its use of English in an era of Telugu-only titles. The producer decided to use an English title which in Telugu means "Tuition Teacher".

Kasinadhuni Viswanath, popularly known as "Kalatapasvi", was an Indian film director, screenwriter, lyricist and actor who predominantly worked in Telugu cinema. One of the greatest auteurs of Indian cinema, he received international recognition for his works, and is known for blending parallel cinema with mainstream cinema. He was honuored with the "Prize of the Public" at the "Besançon Film Festival of France" in 1981. In 1992, he received the Andhra Pradesh state Raghupathi Venkaiah Award, and the civilian honour Padma Shri for his contribution to the field of arts. In 2017, he was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest award in Indian cinema.