Actor and film historian Mohan Raman, who has been associated with AVM Studios and its productions since the 1990s, shared his memories of AVM Saravanan, praising the values he upheld and the legacy he carried forward from his father and Indian cinema pioneer AV Meiyappan.

The veteran producer, who breathed his last on Thursday, at the age of 86, was involved in filmmaking since the late 1950's, and took over the studios and production after his father's demise in 1979. Apart from Tamil, he also produced films in Telugu, and Hindi.

"Although he approached every project with its commercial viability in mind, he never wavered from his social responsibility. He firmly believed that while it was his duty to entertain audiences, it should never come at the cost of values. He would never allow vulgarity or inappropriate ideas to seep into a film just for the sake of comedy. He was both commercially and socially responsible, and this distinguished him from many other producers of his time," said Mohan Raman, in an interview with CE.

This value system created a legacy that continues even today. "That is why, when people see the AVM logo, they know they can expect a clean, decent family drama," he added, noting how Saravanan had a knack of discovering interesting stories and could instantly identify what worked and what didn’t. "He actively participated in story discussions and closely monitored how a film was shaping up. Unlike producers who simply financed a project and stepped back, he remained hands-on, at least until the 2000s. His deep knowledge of Tamil cinema allowed him to guide directors with clarity, especially in casting, just like his father," he shared.

On a personal note, Mohan Raman shared how Saravanan was not just a producer he worked with since the mid-90s, but also a "friend, philosopher and guide."

Raman described him as “a perfect human being.” He added, "The industry has lost a diamond, I have lost a friend, and the world has lost a good man."

He elaborated, "Despite being 15–20 years older, he always treated me like a friend. He would call me to sit and talk, yet never once discussed his ongoing projects unless necessary. His etiquette was impeccable. Whether it was me or superstar Rajinikanth, he would stand up to welcome anyone who entered his office. Only after his guest sat down would he take his seat. That was the respect he showed everyone."

Describing him as a perfect human being, Raman said, "The industry has lost a diamond, I have lost a friend, and the world has lost a good man."

Saravanan’s contributions extended far beyond production. Under his leadership, AVM Studios continued to upgrade facilities, maintain high-quality standards, and continued developing an environment of trust, the qualities that led major stars like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan to repeatedly work with the banner.

Mohan Raman also explained how Saravanan played a crucial role in the transformation of both actors into box-office titans. "The commercial blockbusters that helped shape Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan’s superstardom, many of them were AVM films with SP Muthuraman," Raman noted. "If they kept giving call sheets to the same company, it was because they knew quality would never be compromised, payments would be regular, and the release date would never slip."

AVM's legacy has been unmatched and remains one of the longest-standing pillars in Indian film history with AV Meiyappan and his family being a part of the Tamil film industry from its inception in the 1930s. "The three brothers worked seamlessly with one handling story and artists, while the other looked after distribution, and a third oversaw music. Even after one brother exited the business, the remaining two managed everything with the same efficiency," he said.

Raman's association with the legendary studio began from Sethupathi IPS in 1994. "After that, I worked on four to five films and over 1,500–2,000 episodes of television for them. At one point, I appeared in virtually every AVM serial," he said, stating how the studio valued trust and professionalism above all.

"They knew exactly whom to trust and whom to retain. Once you became part of their camp, as long as you remained loyal and professionally committed, you never had to worry. That was the kind of family they were," he concluded.