Source: The Hindu
When we talk of movies today, the first question that usually comes to our mind is is it a Dharma movie or is it under the Yash Raj Films banner. The production banner of a movie today has become an innate part of how we view a movie. A Dharma banner for example has become a translation of glamour and fashion and comes with an inherent coolness.
A Bhansali banner is obviously associated with aesthetics and beauty and precision. Production is essential to the movie industry. It stems from the place of sheer love for cinema and the craft but also subdues other essentials of it- the business and the expenditure.
While today we have an array of production houses at our disposal, we often forget the time when it must have been an exclusive and monopolistic enterprise.
India’s Oldest
Taking a stroll alongside the busy moving roads of Vadapalni in Chennai, you are bound to be welcomed by a gigantic rotating golden globe with the words AVM on it, engulfing an entire building and its inevitable history behind it.
India’s oldest surviving film studio “AVM” was a vision of a single person’s perseverance, confidence, and above all love and passion for cinema. AV Meiyappan, a perfectionist and an ardent lover of the art of movie-making, was the founder of the banner and brand AVM which began its journey in the year 1945.
Production Stages
The initial stages of the production house were not smooth. It met with several hurdles due to the constant power cuts during world war II and multiple failures that lead to financial struggles. As a result, Meiyappan Chettiyar was forced to move his production house to his native Karaikudi, where the movies were made under thatched roofs.
It was finally in 1949 when the film house was shifted to Madras and went on to produce more than 300 movies in diverse languages. Para Shakthi, Kalathoor Kannama, Andha Naal was some of the earliest and evergreen films produced by the banner that remains a major hallmark in the Indian movie fraternity. AVM is also credited for introducing several movie stalwarts, right from Shivaji Ganesan, Kamal Hassan, S. S. Rajendran, Vyjayanthimala, and many more.
Dubbed Films
It was also the pioneer in producing dubbed films. It was the first production company to dub the movie “Ram Rajya” to Tamil, which is said to be one of the two movies seen by Mahatma Gandhi. The banner was also the first to make a movie for children titled “Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke”. It received a national award and was screened in the residence of the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru where both Mr. and Mrs. Meiyappan were invited as guests.
Beyond Business
For AVM making movies was not just business; it was a way of breathing life into art and creativity. One can easily witness the truth of this statement by taking a walk around the building of AVM. The scripts, photographs, costumes, and every single item are being hoarded by the AVM studios showing their devotion to the industry and their work.
From Kamal Hassan’s outfit in Kalathoor Kannama as a child artist to S.S Vasan’s car parked in Infront of the studio, every single item is valued preciously by the studio.
Contemporary Companies
When AVM first started its journey, it was joined by its contemporary film-producing companies like Gemini, Pakshi raja, Jupiter, etc. Over the seven decades, the only difference is the contemporaries that continue to change, but AVM generation after generation continues to stay tall and carries forward its legacy of making films.
The End Note
As much as we take it for granted, everything around us is infused and is undetachable from its history. That history contributes to its present form and shape. It also shows that there was a time when it did not exist and symbolizes human intelligence that brought its shape and form and made it what it is today.
To forget the history of anything is to steal away from it, its heart and soul. A singular entity even like production companies that claim to be growing over time and are discussed for their business aspect is not bereft of their origin and cultural and social characteristics.
Written By - Ananya Verma
Edited By - Riya Dabas
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