Changes between Initial Version and Version 1 of Modern Theatres

Timestamp:

Jun 26, 2012, 7:07:26 PM (12 years ago)

Author:

Trupti

Comment:

--

Modern Theatres

@@ +1 @@
+'''Modern Theatres'''
+
+
+Angel Films, started in 1934 by T.R. Sundaram
+in partnership with S.S. Velayudham Pillai,
+became the Modern Theatres Studio in 1937,
+soon one of South India’s most influential and
+busiest studios before the WW2 period, at its
+peak making films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada,
+Hindi, Sinhalese and Malayalam. Located in
+Salem, over 300km from Madras, it related to
+the vast Southern hinterland largely ignored by
+Madras and Bombay. It created a Malayalam
+film industry, producing its first sound film,
+Nottani’s Balan (1938) and Sundaram’s
+Kandam Becha Coat (1961), the first
+Malayalam colour film. The studio did the same
+for Telugu productions in the 40s, introducing
+megastars Anjali Devi and S.V. Ranga Rao (in
+B.V. Ramanandam’s Varudhini, 1946). Filmmakers
+working in Tamil, the studio’s native
+language, include Ellis R. Duncan, C.V.
+Raman, K. Ramnoth, T.R. Raghunath etc.,
+while among the Tamil stars introduced there
+was M.R. Radha (in Santhanathevam, 1939).
+Also sponsored the early DMK Films mainly
+because of their financial success. The poet
+and scenarist Bharatidasan was employed
+here, and the studio later produced the
+Karunanidhi-scripted Manthiri Kumari
+(1950). Nevertheless, the studio claimed
+ideological neutrality, unlike the major Madras
+studios led by e.g. K. Subramanyam and later
+S.S. Vasan. Its commitment to pure
+entertainment allowed for tighter budgets and
+the Modern formula was later replicated by
+several studios in Salem itself as well as in
+nearby Coimbatore, making these regions into
+Southern production centres rivalling Madras.
+
+[[Theatre]]