A.V. Meyappan, AVM Studios and T.R. Sundaram, Modern Theatres
Born 12 days apart, in July 1907, these two gentlemen contributed to the Tamil industry like nobody's business.
T.R. Sundaram, Born 16th July 1907
During my research on Sridhar, I understood that while working in Modern Theatres as writer for the film Maheswari, Sridhar had an opportunity to improve his knowledge and skills about film production.T. R. Sundaram had a huge library of international books about great films and directors, about film production, critical and technical essays.
T.R. Sundaram's seems to have got into film production like A.V. Meyappan around the mid thirties.
He produced and directed several films in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Sinhalese and English. A total of 96 films were produced at Modern Theaters of which 56 of them were directed by Sundaram. These numbers could be slightly different. i guess this gives a good idea.
Among his several achievements he has also the credit of producing the first Malayalam Talkie film and also the first colour film in Malayalam.
When the zoom lens was not invented, Modern theatre replicated the zoom lens for their film Ponmudi, and were recognized for their effort by the French government.
One of the interesting experiments which Modern films did was to seek opinion to cast the hero and heroine in their film in the 1940s.
Interestingly their film Sow Sow, 1963, (courtesy wikipedia) the first film to have three separate stories within the same film.
They were also the first produce a film in geva colour and may be they were the first to come up series/sequels through their "Vallavan" movies.
They were also possible in the rise of MGR as a bankable star giving him a clutch of hits.
Today's movie recommendation is Alibabavum 40 Thirudarkalum and Vallavanukku Vallavan
A.V. Meyappan, born 28th July 1907
A.V. Meyyapan, started producing films at about the same time as T.R. Sundaram in the mid thirties.
While AVM Studios may have produced about 300 films, there is a distinctive difference in the quality of the films produce till Mr. Meyyappan, senior himself was at the helm of affairs.
There can be no production house which can boast of making so many clean socially conscious films providing wholesome entertainment.
I guess it is important to note that Mr. Meyappan started his business during the pre-indepence era and the independence movement seems to have lifelong effect on him.
Business was important but the quality of content and the choice of subjects were equally important.
Today's movie recommendation:
Naam Iruvar and Vedhala Ulagam, Both of these films were enriched by Bharathiar Songs. The comedy in Vedhala Ulagam will have you in splits.
Mr. Meyyapan's work and life deserves greatest respect. But it is with regret that I would like record my disappointment that his sons never bothered to respect their father's philosophy.
While most of the movies they produced were commercially successful, they bordered on the substandard, except for a few. While most of the work is eminently forgettable, they will never be absolved of the crime of producing "Sakalakalavan", a most degenerate movies of our times that pushed behind Tamil Cinema by 10 years . I have no mind to forgive Ilayaraja and S. Janaki for "Nila Kayuthe". When the culture of speakers blared across the nook and corner of the state, Ilayaraja and Janaki did yeoman service, knocking of innocence across a large section of population.
Alas, making money alone seem to have become the motto of this great production house!!!
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