GV Films

Last updated

GV Films
Type Film production
Film distribution
Industry Entertainment
Founded1989
Founder G. Venkateswaran
Headquarters
Chennai
,
India
Products Motion pictures
(Tamil)

GV Films is an Indian film production and distribution company headed by Ishari K. Ganesh. The firm had been a leading production studio in the Tamil film industry in the 1990s and had been founded by G. Venkateswaran as Sujatha Films in 1986. [1] [2]

Contents

History

Film industry

Sujatha Films was set up in 1986 by G. Venkateswaran, a chartered accountant, as a film production and distribution company. Operating as a family production house, Venkateswaran's brother Mani Ratnam also often assisted on the production work of films that he directed for the studio. [3] Sujatha Films became GV Films as it became the first publicly listed company from the Indian media industry in 1989. [4]

The early films by the studio saw frequent collaborations with Mani Ratnam and Visu, as well as with composer A. R. Rahman. Films including Anjali and Thalapathi were among the studio's most notable films. [5] [6]

GV Films produced Suhasini Maniratnam's first film Indira (1995) featuring Anu Hasan and Arvind Swamy in the lead roles. The film did not perform well at the box office, prompting GV Films to stop production and prioritise distribution ventures. [7] However, some distribution ventures including Aalavandhan (2001) and Baba (2002) were also expensive failures. [8] [9]

GV Films made a return to production in the early 2000s, first working on the making of Thamizhan (2002) directed by debutant Majith. The film featured Vijay and Priyanka Chopra in her first acting role. Further films that the studio worked on included Vasanth's Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke! (2002) and K. Bhagyaraj's Chokka Thangam (2003) with Vijayakanth. All three films did not perform well commercially. [10] Subsequently, Venkateswaran came under pressure from film financiers. In April 2003, Venkateswaran committed suicide at his residence in Chennai. [11] [12]

Following Venkateswaran's death, the studio continued to produce media content under the same name. Notably, actress Manisha Koirala was briefly a board member as the studio attempted to make a comeback through Hindi film content and 3D television serials. [13] The studio launched a big budget Hindi film directed by Mahesh Manjrekar starring Sanjay Dutt in late 2005, though it was later stalled. [14] Kasthuri Shankar also worked with the studio and assisted on the oversight of the production of Urchagam (2007). [15] The studio returned to prioritising distribution ventures and instead chose to make small budget films such as Kaivantha Kalai (2006) and Thirudi (2006). [16] In 2015, GV Films held a ceremony in Mumbai to mark 25 years since its founding. [17]

Other ventures

In 1993, GV Films worked on bringing Michael Jackson to India for two live concerts to be held in Bombay and Madras on 8 and 10 December in aid of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. The event was later cancelled prompting the studio to suffer heavy losses and begin litigation. [18] [19] [20]

In 2000, GV Films paid $43.6 million to acquire about 8,000 international titles from a seller's offshore investment company Pinewood Films. This included the masters for non-exclusive internet, DVD and theatrical rights. The deal was considered the biggest catalogue buyout by an Indian company. [21] During the same period, GV Films entered into a joint venture with UK internet portal Asian Online. [22]

As of 2020, the group of companies is headed by Ishari K. Ganesh. [23]

Filmography

Film production

as Sujatha Films
TitleYearLanguageDirectorCastSynopsisRef.
Mouna Ragam 1986Tamil Mani Ratnam Mohan, Revathi, Karthik
Agni Natchathiram 1988Tamil Mani Ratnam Prabhu, Karthik, Amala
as GV Films
TitleYearLanguageDirectorCastSynopsisRef.
Vedikkai En Vadikkai 1990Tamil Visu Visu, S. Ve. Sekhar, Ravi Raghavendra
Anjali 1990Tamil Mani Ratnam Shamili, Raghuvaran, Revathi
Thalapathi 1991Tamil Mani Ratnam Rajinikanth, Mammootty, Arvind Swamy
Neenga Nalla Irukkanum 1992Tamil Visu Nizhalgal Ravi, Bhanupriya, Visu
May Maadham 1994TamilVenus Balu Vineeth, Sonali Kulkarni, Manorama
Indira 1995Tamil Suhasini Anu Hasan, Arvind Swamy, Nassar
Thamizhan 2002Tamil Majith Vijay, Priyanka Chopra, Ashish Vidyarthi
Yai! Nee Romba Azhaga Irukke! 2002Tamil Vasanth Shaam, Sneha, Rajiv Krishna
Chokka Thangam 2003Tamil K. Bhagyaraj Vijayakanth, Soundarya, Prakash Raj
Ullam Ketkumae 2005Tamil Jeeva Shaam, Arya, Laila, Asin, Pooja
Matichya Chuli 2006Marathi Atul Kale-Sudesh Manjrekar Sudhir Joshi, Vandana Gupte, Ankush Choudhary
Kaivantha Kalai 2006Tamil Pandiarajan Prithvi Rajan, Sruthi, Pandiarajan
Thirudi 2006TamilK. ShankarKathir, Dhanya Mary Varghese
Urchagam 2007Tamil Ravichandran Nandha, Sherin, Dinesh Lamba
TN 07 AL 4777 2009TamilA. Lakshmikanthan Pasupathy, Ajmal, Simran

Film distribution

In addition to the production of films since 2010, GV Films has also been involved in distributing films of other production houses across certain regions.

Television

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mani Ratnam</span> Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter (born 1956)

Gopalaratnam Subramaniam, known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. He is one of India's most acclaimed and commercially successful filmmakers. Ratnam has won six National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards, six Filmfare Awards South, and numerous awards at various film festivals across the world. In 2002, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, acknowledging his contributions to film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manisha Koirala</span> Nepali actress (born 1970)

Manisha Koirala is a Nepalese actress who works in Indian films, predominantly in Hindi films and has also worked in Nepali and English films. Known for her work in both commercial and independent cinema, she is the recipient of several accolades, including four Filmfare Awards. In 2001, the Government of Nepal awarded her with the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu.

<i>Bombay</i> (film) 1995 film by Mani Ratnam

Bombay is a 1995 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala. The film tells the story of an inter-religious family in Bombay before and during the Bombay riots, which took place between December 1992 and January 1993 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid led to religious tensions between Hindu and Muslim communities. It is the second installment in Ratnam's trilogy of films that depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics, including Roja (1992) and Dil Se.. (1998).

<i>Dil Se..</i> 1998 Hindi-language romantic thriller film by Mani Ratnam

Dil Se.. is a 1998 Indian Hindi-language romantic thriller film written and directed by Mani Ratnam who produced it with Ram Gopal Varma and Shekhar Kapur. Set against the backdrop of Insurgency in Assam, the film stars Shah Rukh Khan and Manisha Koirala, while Preity Zinta makes her film debut in a supporting role. An example of parallel cinema, it is noted as the final installment in Ratnam's trilogy consisting of Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995). The film's soundtrack album, composed by A. R. Rahman, sold six million units in India.

<i>Mouna Ragam</i> 1986 film by Mani Ratnam

Mouna Ragam is a 1986 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film written and directed by Mani Ratnam, and produced by G. Venkateswaran. The film stars Mohan and Revathi, with Karthik, V. K. Ramasamy, Ra. Sankaran, Bhaskar, Kanchana, Vani, Kalaiselvi and Sonia in supporting roles. It narrates the life of Divya (Revathi), a free-spirited college girl who is forced into an arranged marriage with Chandrakumar (Mohan) by her father (Sankaran). But, she still lives in the memory of her past lover Manohar (Karthik). The story follows Divya's inner conflict between holding onto her past and coming to terms with the present.

<i>Agni Natchathiram</i> 1987 film by Mani Ratnam

Agni Natchathiram is a 1988 Indian Tamil-language masala film that was written and directed by Mani Ratnam. The film stars Prabhu, Karthik, Amala and newcomer Nirosha, with Vijayakumar, Jayachitra, Sumithra, Tara, S. N. Lakshmi and G. Umapathy in supporting roles. Its story revolves around two half-brothers who come into conflict with each other due to their claims for legitimacy as sons of a common father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jyothika</span> Indian actress

Jyothika Saravanan is an Indian actress and film producer who predominantly appears in Tamil films in addition to Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi films. Jyothika has received several accolades including a National Film Award, four Filmfare Awards South, three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards and the Kalaimamani Award Jyothika is regarded as one of the most prolific actresses in Tamil cinema, and has been ranked among the best actresses of South India by the media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madras Talkies</span> Indian entertainment company (founded 1995)

Madras Talkies is an Indian entertainment company, which was established by director Mani Ratnam and his brother G. Srinivasan as partners in 1995. Madras Talkies has actively involved in production of films and television serials, which are distributed all over the world. The company has produced fifteen feature films and six television serials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rajiv Menon</span> Indian filmmaker (born 1963)

Rajiv Menon is an Indian filmmaker who has worked as a director and cinematographer in several Indian regional film industries. After making his breakthrough as a film cinematographer with Mani Ratnam's drama Bombay (1994), Menon has continued to collaborate with Ratnam on other projects including Guru (2007) and Kadal (2013). He has also directed 2 critically acclaimed Tamil films, Minsara Kanavu (1997) and Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000), winning a Filmfare Award for the latter. After a sabbatical, Menon returned to directing with Sarvam Thaala Mayam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suhasini Maniratnam</span> Indian actress and director

Suhasini Maniratnam is an Indian actress, director, producer and writer in the Tamil film industry. She has worked as an actress in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. She made her cinematic debut with the 1980, Tamil film. Nenjathai Killathe. Suhasini then won National Film Award for Best Actress for her performance in Sindhu Bhairavi (1985).

Gopalaratnam Venkateswaran, popularly known as G.V., was an Indian film producer and chartered accountant. He was the elder brother of director and screenwriter Mani Ratnam and G. Srinivasan. Venkateswaran was the promoter of GV Films, one of the first movie companies in India to raise capital through the stock market and Sujatha Productions. As an actor, he played a cameo in Pagaivan and played himself in Prabhu starrer Raja Kaiya Vacha.

<i>Aalavandhan</i> 2001 Indian film directed by Suresh Krissna

Aalavandhan is a 2001 Indian psychological action thriller film directed by Suresh Krissna and produced by S. Thanu. An adaptation of the novel Dhayam that was written by Kamal Haasan in 1984, The film stars Haasan in dual roles, with Raveena Tandon, Manisha Koirala, Sarath Babu, Gollapudi Maruti Rao, Madurai G.S. Mani and Milind Gunaji in supporting roles. It has elements of magic realism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. D. Chakravarthy</span> Indian actor and director

Nagulapati Srinivasa Chakravarthy, known professionally as J. D. Chakravarthy, is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, producer, composer, and singer known for his work primarily with Telugu cinema in addition to Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, and Kannada films. Chakravarthy made his screen debut with the Telugu film, Siva, an action blockbuster directed by Ram Gopal Varma, featured at the 12th IFFI. He subsequently made his Bollywood debut with the remake of the same film titled Shiva (1990). He then starred in the blockbuster Satya, featured in the Indian panorama section at the 29th IFFI, and was listed among CNN-IBN's 100 greatest Indian films of all time. Chakravarthy received the Screen Award Special Jury Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shanthanu Bhagyaraj</span> Indian actor

Shanthanu Bhagyaraj is an Indian actor who has worked predominantly in Tamil language films. The son of actors K. Bhagyaraj and Poornima Bhagyaraj, Shanthanu appeared as a child artist in his father's Vettiya Madichu Kattu (1998), before making his debut as a lead actor in the romantic comedy Sakkarakatti (2008).He also has a YouTube channel with his wife called With Love Shanthnu Kiki.

<i>Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya</i> 2000 Indian film

Raja Ko Rani Se Pyar Ho Gaya is a 2000 Indian Hindi film directed by T. K. Rajeev Kumar, starring Arvind Swamy and Manisha Koirala. This is the second Hindi film after Saat Rang Ke Sapne that Arvind Swamy has ever acted in. The film commenced after the success of the Hindi version of Mani Ratnam's Bombay, which featured the same lead pair. However the release was delayed by three years, until the producers won a PETA case filed against them.

C. Ranganathan is an Indian film director and screenwriter who has worked on Tamil films. He made his debut with the 1996 romantic drama film, Coimbatore Mappillai starring Vijay and Sanghavi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lyca Productions</span> Indian film studio founded in 2014

Lyca Productions is an Indian entertainment company, which was established by Subaskaran Allirajah in 2014. A subgroup of Lycamobile, the production studio has been involved in the production and distribution of Tamil films and Hindi films made in India. It has produced some of Tamil cinema's biggest budget films, such as 2.0 (2018), Ponniyin Selvan: I (2022) and Ponniyin Selvan: II (2023)

Mayavi is a 2006–2007 Indian-Tamil language 3D fantasy adventure thriller series starring Ganesh Venkatraman, Debina Bonnerjee, Gurmeet Choudhary. It was the first Indian 3D series. It aired on Jaya TV every Saturday at 21:00 (IST) for 26 episodes. The series won the Special Prize at Seoul International Drama Awards in 2007, and was the first Indian entry to be on the award list.

<i>Vaanam Kottattum</i> 2020 film by Dhana Sekaran

Vaanam Kottattum is a 2020 Indian Tamil-language drama film directed by Dhana, who co-wrote the film with Mani Ratnam. The film has an ensemble cast of R. Sarathkumar, Vikram Prabhu, Raadhika Sarathkumar and Aishwarya Rajesh with an ensemble supporting cast. The film is produced by Mani Ratnam for Madras Talkies, with the latter also credited for co-writing the film's script. The film released on 7 February 2020.

Aalayam Productions was an Indian film production and distribution company headed by S. Sriram. The firm had been a leading production studio in the Tamil film industry in the 1990s, with director Mani Ratnam also being a partner.

References

  1. ↑ "Celluloid Deities: The Visual Culture of Cinema and Politics in South India – PDF Free Download". epdf.pub.
  2. ↑ Shetty, Kavitha (31 May 1990). "Glamour and quick money draw professionals from other fields to Tamil cinema". India Today.
  3. ↑ Rangan, Baradwaj (10 December 2013). Conversations with Mani Ratnam. Penguin UK. ISBN   9788184756906 – via Google Books.
  4. ↑ "Corporate film producer GV commits suicide". The Times of India. 4 May 2003.
  5. ↑ "Mayavi, a stereoscopic series on Jaya TV". 1 November 2006.
  6. ↑ "Trendy heroes - the Economic Times". cscsarchive.org:80. Archived from the original on 14 October 2007. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  7. ↑ Warrier, Shobha (22 April 2002). "Priyanka Chopra goes unnoticed". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
  8. ↑ "Film producer GV commits suicide". www.rediff.com.
  9. ↑ Pearson, Bryan (18 May 2003). "Tamil coin crunch leads to suicide".
  10. ↑ "rediff.com: Movies: The K Bhagyaraj interview". m.rediff.com.
  11. ↑ Ram, Arun (19 May 2003). "Kollywood producer Venkateswaran suicide raises fears of box-office losses, empty theatres". India Today.
  12. ↑ Govardan, D. "A private affair". The Economic Times.
  13. ↑ "Manisha Koirala joins the board of GV Films". Indian Television Dot Com. 15 November 2005.
  14. ↑ "GV Films signs up Sanjay Dutt, Devgan, Manjrekar". Chennai Online. 12 October 2005. Archived from the original on 17 February 2007.
  15. ↑ "Flashback friday: Kasthuri Shankar shares a throwback picture with Sherin Shringar; says she was the latter's 'boss' once". The Times of India.
  16. ↑ "Annual report" (PDF). www.gvfilms.in. 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2020.
  17. ↑ "Mallika Sherawat attends GV Films Limited (GVFL)'s silver anniversary bash in Mumbai". The Times of India.
  18. ↑ "Gv Films Sues Michael Jackson". Business Standard India. 19 October 1996 – via Business Standard.
  19. ↑ "Sena's HIStory Reversed | Outlook India Magazine". magazine.outlookindia.com/.
  20. ↑ "With MJ gone will his event managers survive?". mid-day. 1 July 2009.
  21. ↑ "India's GV Films pact for 8,000 titles | Hollywood Reporter". www.hollywoodreporter.com. 10 May 2007.
  22. ↑ Lall, Bhuvan (21 February 2000). "India's GV, Asian Online form webcasting venture". Screen.
  23. ↑ "G.V. FILMS LIMITED – Company, directors and contact details | Zauba Corp". www.zaubacorp.com.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.