User:Salemnewmodern

K.P.Sakthivel. Director. Salem New Modern Film Makers

TR Sundaram was the founder of one of the biggest studios in South India - Modern Theatres at Salem, Tamil Nadu. At its peak Modern Theatres averaged at least three film productions a year and not just in Tamil but also in Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam and Sinhalese. He also made the first ever colour film in South India, the MGR - P Bhanumathi swashbuckler, Alibabavam 40 Thirudargalum (1955) as well as the first ever colour film in Malayalam, Kandam Becha Court (1961).

Tiruchengodu Ramalinga Sundaram was born in 1907 into a wealthy family of yarn merchants. He went to England and studied Textile Engineering at Leeds. Back in India, he continued in the textile business for a while till the film bug bit him. Along with SS Velayudham Pillai, Sundaram set up Angel Pictures at Salem. The duo made two films in Calcutta. With the money earned from these films, he set up his own studio at Salem, Modern Theatres. His first film at Modern was Sathi Ahalya (1937). The following year, he produced the first ever Malayalam talkie, Balan.

A product of the studio system, Sundaram organized Modern Theatres more on the lines of a factory. There were about 250 employees. Modern Theatres film was unabashedly and primarily aimed at entertaining the public, without pretence of any sort of social or political issues. The public lapped up these films. At Modern, Sundaram introduced actors who would go to become some of the most famous stars of Tamil cinema - MR Radha, SV Ranga Rao and Anjali Devi.

Sundaram, along with Ellis R Duncan set the tone for much of narrative conventions in Tamil cinema. Both, in fact, worked together in one of MGR's early hits, Manthiri Kumari (1950). In the film, Parthiban (SA Natarajan), son of the royal priest, is crestfallen at not being made the army commandant. To get at the new commandant, Veeramohan (MG Ramachandran), he takes to crime, looting and robbing. The imbecile king has no control of the situation. His daughter Jeeva (G Shakuntala) loves Veeramohan. Meanhwhile the minister's daughter, Amudavalli (Madhuri Devi) grows fond of Parthiban not knowing about his evil side. When she finds out, she tries to reform him. To get rid of her, parthiban takes her to a mountain peak and threatens to push her down. However, she outwits him and kills him instead. She announces his death in the court, only to be killed by the royal priest.The film was much lauded for Madhuri Devi's assertive and strong woman who could handle a sword with skill!

Some of Sundaram's other well-known films include Burma Rani (1944), Sulochana (1946), Athithan Kanavu (1948), Mayavathi (1949), Digambara Samiyar (1950), Sarvadhikari (1951), Vallayapathi (1952) and Baghdad Thirudan (1960) apart from Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum. Among these special mention must be made of Burma Rani, Vallayapathi and Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum.

Burma Rani was a war film where three Indian airmen are forced to land in Burma. Rani, an Indian girl, helps the airmen free the country from Japanese occupation aided by an Indian resistence movement.

Vallayapathi was an adaptation of a well-known legend in Tamil Nadu. The rich childless merchant Vallayapathi (G Muthukrishnan) is married to Sundari (TA Rajalakshmi). He takes a second wife Sathyavathy (Sowcar Janaki). Distressed by the turn of the events, when Sathyavathy becomes pregnant, Sundari feigns pregnancy and makes Valayapathi believes that Sathyavathy's child is not his. Valayapathi rejects Sathyavathy. Sathyavathy seeks refuge with an old man and gives birth to a son Uttaman who grows up to be a brave, intelligent young man (Ramakrishnan). Sundari meanwhile passes off her brother's lover's loutish son Azhgan as hers. Uttaman and Azhgan are rival students. A tattoo is found on Azhgan's body betraying his low cast origins but Sundari manages to hide the mark from Vallayapathi who persecutes Uttaman. Uttaman learns about his parentage and sues his father. Finally after a long court battle as the truth comes out, Sundari commits suicide while Vallayapathi, Sathyavathy and Uttam live happily ever after.

Alibabavum 40 Thirudargalum is one of the most popular films ever in the history of Tamil cinema. Based on the famous Arabian folk tale, the film was replete with chart-busting songs, group, several dueling scenes, chases and a cliff hanger finale. Besides MGR as the swashbuckling hero and Bhanumathi as the beautiful heroine, the film boasts of a memorable villainous turn by PS Veerappa as the heartless Abu Hussain. Incientally, Waheeda Rehman, made one of her earliest appearance on film in this film in a dance number.

Sundaram made various types of films but was known for his swashbucklers that later developed into the MGR - Karunanidhi filmic and political signatures.

Besides filmmaking, Sundaram was also the president of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce from 1949 - 50 and 1956 - 59. It was he who acquired the land on which the building stands presently. He also ran a film magazine, Chandamarutham, with well-known lyricist Kannadasan as its editor.

TR Sundaram passed away in 1963.

Modern Theatres: Modern Theatres, Ltd was a motion picture movie studio in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India, started by Thiruchengodu Ramalingam Sundaram (aka TRS) in 1935. From its founding through 1982, the studio produced more than 150 movies in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Sinhalese and even English, of which the majority were in Tamil.

In the early 1930s, T.R. Sundaram entered the world of Tamil cinema as a partner of a Salem-based film company, Angel Films. He was involved in productions such as Draupadi Vastrapaharanam (1934), Dhruva (1935) and Nalla Thangal (1935). Then he decided to start his own company, Modern Theatres Limited. He realized that to make film making a business, it had to be organized and managed like a business enterprise. He also planned a schedule of producing films on a tight budget (two or three a year), so that the market and consumers were regularly and continually supplied with his products. The maiden production of Modern Theatres, directed by T.R. Sundaram, was 'Sathi Ahalya', a mythological plot was released in 1937. Sundaram promoted Modern Theatres as a joint stock company and built a studio on a vast stretch of land on the outskirts of Salem town. The hundred odd films that came from his studio covered a wide spectrum of themes — mythology, comedy and original screenplays to adaptation of classic works of literature and murder mysteries. It is, however, the James Bond style of films starring Jaishankar that are almost synonymous with the banner. rathna studio was another famous film studio located near mamangam about 4km from the present new bus stand. unlike modern theatres rathna studio was not involved in their own movie production but was available on rent for movie makers.established by rao sahib ratnasamy pillai who was also a member of the legislative assembly and owner of swarnambigai bus company, this studio was very active until movie makers shifted to madras.modern theatres and ratna studio were eventually closed and became housing plots. Following the Hollywood studio system, TRS had on his rolls writers, technicians, actors and so on. He paid generously and promptly, a rarity in the film circle.

The Kollywood King makers MGR(M.G.Ramachandran the former chief minister of Tamilnadu) and Sivaji Ganesan(Nadikar thilagam) were also acted in TRS company.

SALEM NEW MODERN FILM MAKERS

SALEM NEW MODERN FILM MAKERS studio started by KP SAKTHIVEL, and his friends in near manipal hospital salem tamil nadu in 2009. same type of modern theaters. camera, outoor unit, edit, duping, di process all own in salem.

this unit produced 1st film called NEE ENAKKAGA MATTUM. coming very soon.