Kamal Haasan mourns AVM Saravanan, reflects on six-decade bond
Veteran Tamil producer AVM Saravanan passed away at the age of 86, following which tributes poured in from across the film industry. Kamal Haasan reflected on his personal and professional relationship with Saravanan and AVM Productions, underscoring the producer’s influence on Tamil cinema.
Kamal Haasan has condoled the demise of renowned Tamil filmmaker AVM Saravanan, who died at the age of 86 due to health issues on Thursday morning. The veteran star, whose association with AVM Productions goes back over six decades, released a video message sharing his thoughts on Saravanan’s impact and legacy within the industry.
Haasan started his career as a child artiste in AVM Productions at the age of five. Kalathur Kannamma (1960), marking the beginning of a long-standing collaboration with the studio.
In a video statement, Haasan said, “My relationship with Thiru AVM Saravanan is similar to the one I shared with my brothers, Chandra Haasan and Charuhasan. When I was younger, I was unsure about the level of respect I gave him. Those confusions went away after I crossed 20 because I then realized that I should treat him with the same level of respect that I had shown my father. So, I would like to believe that I am M.S. I share some of Guhaan’s sorrows.”
Haasan described the loss as widely felt in the Tamil film community, saying, “It is a grief shared by those who have worked, retired and hoping to work in AVM. The reason we worship him is evident in the way we live our lives and our artistic endeavours. The only way to thank him is to walk valiantly on the path he has made for all of us.”
Over the years, Haasan collaborated in films with AVM Productions Parthal Pasi Theeram (1962), thongathe thambi thongathe (1983), Uyarndha Ullam (1985), and Per Solam Pillai (1987).
Reflecting on the legacy of AVM Saravanan, Haasan said, “I am not alone in this suffering because I was planted as a simple sapling in the lush garden of AVM, and later grew and flourished. In this garden, where many giants left their giant footprints, I too will learn to walk. Saravanan Ayya and his brothers were like the Para Solam Pillai of the studio. And I too would like to be like that. I would like to walk in this huge I wish for the third generation of Udaipur to continue to nurture and support new artists just as the studio supported me in my early years.”
AVM Saravanan is survived by his son MS Guhan, who is also a producer, and granddaughters Aruna Guhan and Aparna Guhan. Aruna Guhan is associated with AVM Productions as a partner and creative director and is sharing the family legacy through various platforms.