Whether or not it was within the firm of superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan — or, on uncommon events with each collectively, amongst others — Saravanan’s manner would stand out, remembers N Sathiya Moorthy.

IMAGE: Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan. {Photograph}: Type courtesy AVM Productions and AVM Studios/Instagram

Merely put, God has stopped making males like him.

Saravanan Surya Mani, higher often called AVM Saravanan, died only a day after his 86th birthday owing to age-related illnesses in Chennai, on December 4. He was, by all means, a ‘mild colossus’ within the glitzy world of cinema, this one the Tamil filmdom.

Till he withdrew from public life a number of years in the past, Saravanan stood out in any crowd, any firm, and actually so.

He was tall, and his sharp eyes surveyed all that he might see in a big gathering.

At the same time as he can be listening to the person standing in entrance of him and exchanging greater than pleasantries, probably, his deep-set eyes would wander on occasion to catch a glimpse of males and occasions round him.

However it was pure, and got here naturally to him, not cultivated or rigorously crafted.

A lot so, whether or not it was within the firm of superstars Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan — or, on uncommon events with each collectively, amongst others — Saravanan’s manner would stand out.

His gentlemanliness contrasted with the loud behaviour of the youthful technology in an business that no extra belongs to his technology of movie producers, who counted each rupee that they spent as a lot as each rupee that tickled in via the field workplace.

 

IMAGE: A V Meiyappan. {Photograph}: Type courtesy AVM Productions and AVM Studios/Instagram

At all times seen in white-and-white, trousers and half-sleeve shirts, with a vivid vermilion spiritual mark in place on his brow, his simplicity and calm exterior weren’t cultivated however inherited.

His late father A V Meiyappan belonging to the industrious Nattu Kottai Chettiar group, belonged to a technology of dedicated filmmakers and studio-owners of his generations, others being, ‘Gemini’ S S Vasan and Nagi Reddy of Vijaya-Vauhini Studios, as soon as the biggest movie studio in Asia — now a row of buildings unconnected with the business.

It isn’t that every one three of them, and plenty of different filmmakers and studio-owners from that technology had been clad in white.

Their enterprise practices had been additionally as clear as their exterior and apparel.

Not often did problems with non-payment arose in that technology, and never from Saravanan both.

When he discovered that the business had develop into too flashy and the economics of which was unsustainable, Saravanan had the braveness of conviction to declare that the AVM was withdrawing from movie manufacturing, a minimum of for the time.

After persuasion by buddies, the AVM, with its unmistakable ‘Globe’ emblem, to advertise their movies but in addition enterprise ethics in an business the place ethics has misplaced its worth and which means, started producing tv serials — the place they had been the masters of what was being made and what was to be paid and could possibly be anticipated as monetary returns.

Even right here, enterprise requirements are nonetheless unknown, however AVM, underneath the father-son duo has maintained their social, cultural and enterprise values, from which others can be taught however discover it too troublesome even to aim.

IMAGE: Amala and Kamal Haasan in Mella Thirandhadhu Kadhavu. {Photograph}: Type courtesy AVM Productions and AVM Studios/Instagram

Simply because the story of the AVM legacy story couldn’t start with father AV Meyiyappan, it can not proceed with out mentioning Saravanan much more.

The AVM Heritage Museum that Saravanan’s two grand-daughters have curated is among the rarest and boldest makes an attempt.

At a time when movie studios and studio-owned movies are dying a pure dying throughout them, the youthful technology (solely) within the AVM household has demonstrated this adventurism geared toward not solely sustaining enterprise but in addition increasing and diversifying.

Sure, the museum will not be a enterprise enterprise in that sense of the time period.

Each are administrators within the household enterprise and are additionally inventive administrators of the studios in any other case. And so they had the blessings and steering of that quiet innovator referred to as AVM Saravanan and his son M S Guhan. Each realised that they wanted to maneuver with the instances, and that the youthful technology was finest suited to see the transformation, ahead.

The museum thus is symbolic, and symbolic of what to anticipate — for even a legacy establishment like AVM to return to their roots, re-invent and re-establish their previous credentials.

It isn’t going to be straightforward, however it is a sign that the AVM story will not be going to finish as abruptly as occurred within the case of different massive names within the Tamil business, together with S S Vasan’s Gemini of Chandralekha fame, and Vijaya-Vauhini, whose brand-name itself was itself a calling card.

IMAGE: Sivaji Ganesan and Sowcar Janaki in Uyarndha Manithan. {Photograph}: Type courtesy AVM Productions and AVM Studios/Instagram

For the uninitiated, AVM, like different big-ticket producers of the instances, used to make Hindi movies with a number of the shining stars of yesteryear.

Born in 1940, Saravanan joined the household enterprise at 19, and was part of AVM’s persevering with forays into the Hindi and Telugu industries, too, earlier than settling down for native Tamil cinema.

He learnt the artwork of movie manufacturing, as completely different from filmmaking on the toes of his father, who up to a degree was additionally a filmmaker/director in his personal proper. Saravanan settled for the enterprise facet, and which will even be one purpose why AVM has survived and persevering with in contrast to contemporaries and later-day innovations.

Think about an period earlier than Saravanan’s enterprise instances when Meiyappan, who was funding their distributor, A Perumal Mudaliar of Nationwide Photos fame to provide a movie, which the latter was assured would re-write the historical past of Tamil cinema.

After the movie had been shot as much as 7,000 toes or so, Meiyappan noticed the rushes, and declared that the movie will not run as a result of the younger, new face of a hero, regarded famished.

Meiyappan scrapped not the challenge however the portion that had already been shot, paid the actor and gave the unit one other six months for him to eat effectively and enhance his physique. Thus was born the social drama, Parasakthi(1952), one of many all-time greats — and likewise an actor, higher often called Sivaji Ganesan, The Thespian.

Sivaji Ganesan, in truth, acted in one other eight films for the AVM banner. That features his landmark a hundred and twenty fifth movie Uyarndha Manithan (1968), a household drama. It was mentioned that The Thespian wished it that method, and approached Meiyappan — and never the opposite method spherical, as has develop into the unhealthy norm, now.

Later-day Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi’s religiously and politically delicate dialogues would have gotten the goat of present-day Hindutva teams, however even in its time, it has its personal critics, going past the nascent print media.

There was a concerted effort to color even Meiyappan and AVM with the identical black brush as critics painted Karunanidhi, a follower of ‘Periyar’ E V Ramaswami Naicker and his ‘anti-god, anti-Hindu’ socio-politico philosophy.

However earlier than Karunanidhi and Parasakthi, AVM had collaborated with one other star of the Dravidian motion, C N Annadurai. AVM’s Velaikari and Nallathambi (each 1949) had been adopted by Oru Iravu (1951).

Meiyappan and AVM weathered the storm.

It additionally demonstrated their grit and willpower to face off and develop in opposition to adversity, with out giving an inch.

This imagery prolonged to their dealing with of filmmakers, actors and enterprise collaborators like distributors and exhibitors.

‘Powerful and honest’ is the title that started going with the AVM model, and Saravanan carried the flag excessive, however with out making any noise.

IMAGE: Kamal Haasan in Kalathoor Kannamma. {Photograph}: Type courtesy AVM Productions and AVM Studios/Instagram

It grew to become one other underlying precept of AVM, which grew to become well-known throughout industries, together with their ‘clear’ picture and civil behaviour always.

A lot so, when Saravanan determined to forged the mercurial M G Ramachandran (MGR), then the reigning celebrity of the Tamil field workplace with a large fan-following that additionally doubled because the dedicated cadres of the undivided DMK social gathering, a lot because the producers wished to be seen as pleasing the person.

However it was the opposite who was extra accommodative, as they collectively shot Anbe Vaa (1966), shot in Shimla and Ooty — the primary AVM product to be shot in color.

A lot so, when Director A C Thrilokchander didn’t approve of MGR’s ‘suggestion’ for the climax to be modified and wished his unique to stay, the celebrity merely obliged. His fame was in any other case.

The movie, to make use of a up to date phrase, was a super-duper hit.

It was not solely MGR and Sivaji Ganesan, even the subsequent technology superstars, particularly, Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan that their unforgettable affiliation with AVM and Saravanan. It’s an previous story that Kamal, as coincidence would have it, lower his filmi tooth, as a baby artiste, in Kalathoor Kannamma (1960).

IMAGE: Kamal Haasan and Radha in Per Sollum Pillai.

True to fame, Meiyappan changed the busiest of the kid artiste of the time, Daisy Rani, after dumping her shot scenes and changed her with the innocent-looking recent face of Kamal. He additionally had a ‘prayer music’ sung by M S Rajswari for baby Kamal, Ammavum Neeye, Appavum Neeye, included in any respect value.

Sixty-five years down the road, it is nonetheless a very talked-about music, particularly amongst girls. And a younger Saravanan was part of it.

That method, the Kamal-AVM collaborations went past his baby roles.

As a manly actor, Kamal acted in Sakalakala Vallavan (1982), an awesome grosser, adopted by Thoongathey Thambi Thoongathe, Uyarndha Ullam and Per Sollum Pillai.

IMAGE: Sridevi and Rajnikanth in Pokkiri Raja.

True, sure, Ok Balachander, the grasp of the middle-class Tamil characters and followers, who launched Rajinikanth in a cameo function in Apoorva Ragangal (1975). After a number of movies, Rajini had his actual break in AVM’s Murattukaalai (1980), which took him to superstardom in the end.

And as celebrity, he acted in Sivaji: The Boss for AVM (2007), a movie by famed grandiose filmmaker S Shankar, in 2007.

In between the duo had collaborated in Pokkiri Raja (1982) and Mr Bharat (1986), other than Raja Chinna Roja, Nallavanukku Nallavan and Ejaman.

Rajini’s Sivaji was adopted by one other movie, after which Ayan (2009), starring third-generation front-line actors Suriya, displaying Sarvanan’s capability to maneuver via the generational gaps which are extra seen and extra pronounced.

Then the AVM’s return foray into the Telugu business with three films, adopted by their one hundred and seventy fifth Tamil movie, Idhuvum Kadandhu Pogum (2014).

Eleven years down the road, they’re but to provide one other movie, in 2025.

IMAGE: Kamal Haasan with M Saravanan, his son M S Guhan and granddaughter Aparna Guhan. {Photograph}: Type courtesy AVM Productions and AVM Studios/Instagram

Saravanan was the third of three sons. Because it turned out, managing the household’s mainstay fell on his shoulders after father Meiyappan died in 1979.

Sarvanan was succeeded by his son M S Guhan. The fourth technology within the AVM clan, Aruna Guhan and Aparna Guhan, are already right here.

They start with what their nice grand-father had constructed and what their grandfather Saravanan had nurtured, via the a long time — the dignity and decency of the film-producer, whose title was by no means ever concerned in any controversy, enterprise or private.

Then, there may be robust ethics and enterprise guidelines that he had cherished and guarded, together with the household motto of not permitting to be intimidated by superstardom.

Saravanan institutionalised all of it in his personal persona, via troublesome, in and for the business, too — and forsaking a legacy that’s troublesome to match however not one thing that might not be carried ahead, given the DNA and genes of the AVM in you.

Pictures curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff