On Thursday, the Tamil film fraternity woke up to the devastating news of the demise of legendary filmmaker and producer, AVM Saravanan. He breathed his last on Thursday due to age-related ailments. He was 86. Following the news of his death, Chief Minister MK Stalin took to his official X handle to pen a note of condolence.
He wrote, "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of AVM Saravanan, one of the senior-most stalwarts of Tamil cinema and the iconic face of the historic AVM Studios. Just as AVM played a monumental role in shaping the direction of Tamil cinema, Mr Saravanan’s contribution to shaping the direction of AVM itself was equally immense."
He continued, speaking about his family's relationship with AVM. "As both a son and a towering figure in the film industry, Saravanan added great honour to his father, the respected AVM Chettiar—fondly known to all as “Appachi”. AVM Studios shares a long-standing bond with the Dravidian movement’s cinematic journey, with films like Perarignar Anna’s Oru Iravu, Leader Kalaignar’s Parasakthi, and Murasoli Maran’s Kuladeivam. That relationship became one of familial affection, and Mr AVM Saravanan grew close to our family as well."
The Chief Minister concluded his note by recollecting his latest encounter with AVM Saravanan. "When I visited the AVM Heritage Museum in May 2023, he warmly reminisced about those memories and received me with great affection. A man who embodied peace and simplicity, he treated everyone with love and kindness. I offer my heartfelt condolences and comfort to the AVM family and to all friends within the film fraternity grieving his loss."
Born in 1939, Saravanan, along with his brother M Balasubramanian, assisted their father, the legendary AV Meiyappan, in managing the iconic AVM Productions and its famous studios. Saravanan was involved in filmmaking since the late 1950s and took over the studios and production after his father's demise in 1979.
M Saravanan is survived by his son, MS Guhan, another producer. Guhan has twin daughters, Aruna Guhan and Aparna Guhan. M Saravanan's mortal remains have been placed for public homage till 3:30 pm at AVM Studios, where friends, family, industry members, and well-wishers can pay their last respects.
