T. R. Sundaram
Encyclopedia
Tiruchengodu Ramalingam Sundaram (1907-1963) was a Tamil, Malayalam, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada and Sinhalese film actor, director and iconic film producer. He is the founder of the Salem-based movie production company Modern Theatres
.
to a wealthy textile merchant and had his studies in India and in Leeds
, England
where he graduated in textile engineering. On returning to India, Sundaram managed his family business.
After the production of the first Tamil talkie Kalidas
in 1931, the movie industry emerged as a profitable means of investment. Sundaram set up Angel Pictures in Salem and produced movies along with S. S. Velayutham.
. The first film produced under the banner of Modern Theatres was Sathi Ahalya in 1937. The next year in 1938, Sundaram produced the first Malayalam talkie Balan
.
Modern Theatres
Modern Theaters Ltd was a motion picture movie studio in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India, started by Thiruchengodu Ramalingam Sundaram in 1935. The studio produced over more than 150 movies until 1982 in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Sinhalese and even English of which Tamil movies were the...
.
Early life
Sundaram was born in 1907 in CoimbatoreCoimbatore
Coimbatore , also known as Kovai , is the second largest city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is a major commercial centre in Tamil Nadu and is known as the "Manchester of South India"....
to a wealthy textile merchant and had his studies in India and in Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
where he graduated in textile engineering. On returning to India, Sundaram managed his family business.
After the production of the first Tamil talkie Kalidas
Kalidas (film)
Kalidas was the first Tamil talkie film made in 1931. It was produced on the sets of Alam Ara by Ardeshir Irani. The director was Irani's former assistant H.M. Reddy. The film had dialogues and songs in Tamil and Telugu.-Production:...
in 1931, the movie industry emerged as a profitable means of investment. Sundaram set up Angel Pictures in Salem and produced movies along with S. S. Velayutham.
Film career
Sundaram split with Velayutham after a few years and set up his own production company Modern TheatresModern Theatres
Modern Theaters Ltd was a motion picture movie studio in Salem, Tamil Nadu, India, started by Thiruchengodu Ramalingam Sundaram in 1935. The studio produced over more than 150 movies until 1982 in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Sinhalese and even English of which Tamil movies were the...
. The first film produced under the banner of Modern Theatres was Sathi Ahalya in 1937. The next year in 1938, Sundaram produced the first Malayalam talkie Balan
Balan (film)
Balan is a 1938 Malayalam film directed by S. Nottani. It was the first talkie in Malayalam. Based on the short story Vidhiyum Mrs. Nayarum by A. Sundaram, its screenplay and dialogues are written by Muthukulam Raghavan Pillai. The film is a melodrama and was the first movie in this genre in...
.