Tamil Nadu Timeline

CinemaNational and Dravidian movements

AVM Productions founded

· Karaikudi

A. V. Meiyappan founded AVM Productions, first working from Karaikudi during the war before moving to Madras.

A. V. Meiyappan came from a Nattukottai Chettiar family of Karaikudi whose shop sold gramophone records. During the Second World War, to reduce the risk from Japanese bombing, he moved his film facilities to Karaikudi, where he set up a studio in a drama auditorium. AVM Productions was founded in 1945 and later established its studios at Vadapalani in Madras. It produced over 300 films, and Wikipedia describes it as the oldest film studio in India.

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