Film producer and owner of AVM Studios, M Saravanan, died in Chennai due to age-related ailments on Thursday, as per reports. He was 86.
According to news agency PTI, Saravanan had been suffering from health issues for a few years and had been undergoing treatment intermittently.
Popularly known as AVM Saravanan, he took over the famed studio founded in 1946 by his father AV Meiyappan in 1979. Under his leadership, AVM Studios sustained its position as a major production house, expanding its work across Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and several other languages.
Saravanan, along with his brother M Balasubramanian, played a significant role in shaping commercial Tamil cinema from the 1950s onward. His films Naanum Oru Penn (1963) and Samsaram Adhu Minsaram (1986) were major hits.
AVM Productions re-entered Tamil cinema after a long break following Meiyappan’s death with Murattu Kaalai (1980) starring Rajinikanth opposite Rati Agnihotri. It was Rajinikanth’s first film under the AVM banner. The film went on to become the highest-grossing Tamil release of its time and was pivotal in cementing Rajinikanth’s status as an action hero and eventual superstar.
Actor Kamal Haasan also began his career under the AVM banner, debuting as a child actor in Kalathur Kannamma (1960). The film earned him the President’s Gold Medal for best child actor.
Beyond film production, Saravanan ensured AVM Studios in Chennai remained a major shooting hub and diversified the banner into television and emerging media formats. His public service included a term as Sheriff of Madras in 1986.
He is survived by his son, M.S. Guhan, a film producer.