Madras Day 2025: AVM studios in Chennai, the muse for South Indian film industry

:

Below the arc lights and behind the camera’s gaze, AVM Studios has been the eternal muse of Tamil cinema.

Long before CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) and green screens entered the scene, AVM Studios was the ultimate fantasy factory that has churned out vintage classics like Vedhala Ulagam to newer, high-octane hits like Sivaji: The Boss. In its heyday, the studio provided everything a filmmaker wanted — from bus stands, and houses to temple sets — all within its premises.

“Till the 1990s, the studio floors were always full. We had nine floors, with shooting taking place on all of them, as well as outdoors.” M.S. Guhan, Managing Partner of AVM Productions, said. “We are the oldest surviving film studio in the country today, and also the oldest production house that is still active,” he said.

Vedhala Ulagam (1948), produced under the AVM banner, was the first movie to be filmed at AVM Studios. 

Recalling some of the memorable shooting moments at the studio, Mr. Guhan said that for the film Samsaram Adhu Minsaram (1986), AVM decided to build a real house rather than use a temporary set. The house was constructed on the site where Kauvery Hospital stands today. “The house you see in the film was built in three months. Many other films were also shot there. It was pulled down when the property was sold,” he said.

Vedhala Ulagam (1948), produced under the AVM banner, was the first movie to be filmed at AVM Studios. For the film Manithan (1987), two streets were specially created on the studio premises. The climax fight sequence in Sakalakala Vallavan (1982) featuring a dramatic building-on-fire scene, a few scenes from Bharathiraja’s Pudhumai Penn, and portions of the fight sequences in Sivaji: The Boss were also shot here. “A set was created for the music shop scene in the film [Sivaji: The Boss],” said Mr. Guhan, to whom belonged all the cars and bikes featured in the song Athiradee.

Songs from the film Minsara Kanavu, starring Arvind Swamy, Prabhu Deva, and Kajol, were filmed here. Several memorable sequences from the film came alive within the studio premises — from the romantic number Thanga Thamarai Magale, filmed against a specially-constructed artificial waterfall, to the lilting Vennilave Vennilave and the vibrant Mana Madurai, which was shot in the studio’s outdoor spaces.

Reduced activity

At present, activity at the studio has declined, and much of the space has been converted for real estate development. “Once or twice a month, we host ad film shoots, and occasionally, a film promo shoot. For example, the Thug Life (2025) team filmed a promo featuring Kamal Haasan and Silambarasan here,” Mr. Guhan said. The space also continues to attract ad productions, though not always on a large scale. Celebrities such as M.S. Dhoni, who endorse multiple brands, shoot here.

If the walls at AVM Studios could talk, they’d whisper stories of Sivaji Ganesan’s gravitas, Rajinikanth’s swagger, and Kamal Haasan’s brilliance. And let’s not forget that iconic spinning globe, the unofficial co-star of Tamil cinema, that we saw in the opening credits of every film like an auspicious “Suprabhatam” to a typical South Indian morning.