 | |
| Company type | Film production Film distribution |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment, Software |
| Founded | 1956 |
| Defunct | 2010 |
| Headquarters | Chennai, India |
Key people | Ramkumar Ganesan Prabhu |
| Products | Motion pictures (Tamil) Motion pictures (Hindi) |
Sivaji Productions was an Indian film production and distribution company based in Chennai. Established in 1956, it was involved mainly in Tamil and Hindi-language films until 2010.
Sivaji Productions company is owned by Prabhu and his brother Ramkumar Ganesan. It is named after their father, the thespian Sivaji Ganesan. Notable films released under their banner includes Puthiya Paravai, Vietnam Veedu, Thanga Pathakkam, Thirisoolam , Aruvadai Naal, Vetri Vizha, Mannan, Chandramukhi and Aasal .
Sivaji Productions was started in 1956 by Dr. Sivaji Ganesan and his brother Sri V.C. Shanmugam. It was first started as a distribution company and distributed many of Dr. Sivaji's movies. [1] In 1958, Sivaji Productions co-produced its first film Amardeepam which was a Hindi remake of Amardeep. Its first solo production was Puthiya Paravai in 1964 with Dr. Sivaji in the lead role.
Since then, Sivaji Productions has produced about 18 films till date.
After Sri V.C. Shanmugam's death in 1986, Dr. Sivaji's son Mr. G.Ramkumar took over Sivaji Productions.
Sivaji Productions has also ventured into the production of television serials. It has produced two serials, Kokila engey Pogirral in Tamil and Seethama Maeyamma in Telugu and is currently producing a Tamil serial called Thavam for Kalaingar TV.
During the success meet of the P. Vasu-directed Mannan (1992), Rajinikanth announced that he would act in Sivaji Productions' 50th film. However, following their 49th film Rajakumaran , Sivaji Productions went on hiatus for 12 years. In September 2004, Rajinikanth was impressed with Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra (2004) and wanted to remake it in Tamil with Sivaji Productions producing. The remake, titled Chandramukhi , became Sivaji Productions' 50th film. [2] The film received positive reviews from critics and became a successful venture at the box-office. [3] [4]
Their next project was initially announced with Gautham Vasudev Menon as director. [5] However, the film's production failed to take off, with repeated dates being announced by the directors for the film's first schedule throughout 2009. Subsequently, Menon was removed from the project by the producers due to the film's inactivity, with directors Dharani, Vishnuvardhan and Saran leading the race to take over. [6]
In January 2009, the film was reannounced as Asal by Prabhu and the story was subsequently changed with Saran being signed up as the film's director. [7] The film received negative reviews from critics and became a failure at box-office. [8]
| Year | Film | Language | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Amar Deep | Hindi | T. Prakash Rao | Co Production with venus Pictures |
| Uthama Puthiran | Tamil | Distributed in Madras circuit | ||
| 1962 | Rakhi | Hindi | A. Bhimsingh | Co Production with Prabhuram pictures |
| 1963 | Kunkhumam | Tamil | Krishnan–Panju | Distributed by Sivaji Productions |
| 1964 | Puthiya Paravai | Dada Mirasi | ||
| 1969 | Deiva Magan | A. C. Tirulokchandar | ||
| 1970 | Vietnam Veedu | P. Madhavan | ||
| 1974 | Thanga Pathakkam | |||
| 1977 | Annan Oru Koyil | K. Vijayan | ||
| 1979 | Thirisoolam | |||
| 1980 | Ratha Paasam | |||
| 1982 | Vaa Kanna Vaa | D. Yoganand | ||
| 1983 | Sandhippu | C. V. Rajendran | ||
| 1985 | Needhiyin Nizhal | Bharathi-Vasu | ||
| 1986 | Anandha Kanneer | K. Vijayan | ||
| Aruvadai Naal | G. M. Kumar | |||
| 1987 | Anand | C. V. Rajendran | ||
| 1988 | En Thamizh En Makkal | Santhana Bharathi | ||
| 1989 | Vetri Vizha | Pratap Pothan | ||
| 1990 | My Dear Marthandan | |||
| 1991 | Thalattu Ketkuthamma | Rajkapoor | ||
| 1992 | Mannan | P.Vasu | ||
| 1993 | Kalaignan | G. B. Vijay | ||
| 1994 | Rajakumaran | R. V. Udayakumar | ||
| 2005 | Chandramukhi | P.Vasu | ||
| 2007 | Delhii Heights | Hindi | Anand Kumar | |
| 2010 | Aasal | Tamil | Saran | |
Chandramukhi is a 2005 Indian Tamil-language psychological horror comedy film written and directed by P. Vasu. It is a remake of Vasu's Kannada film Apthamitra (2004) which itself was remake of Malayalam film Manichitrathazhu (1993). The film stars Rajinikanth, Prabhu and Jyothika along with an ensemble supporting cast, including Vadivelu, Nayanthara, Nassar and Sheela. It revolves around a woman who suffers from dissociative identity disorder that affects a family, and a psychiatrist who intends to solve the case while risking his life.
Prabhu Ganesan, known professionally as Prabhu, is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Tamil cinema. He is the youngest son of veteran actor Sivaji Ganesan. Prabhu was one of the leading actors in Tamil cinema in the later 1980s and 90s. He is popularly known as Ilaya Thilagam. He has worked in more than 220 films in lead and supporting roles in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films.
S. Ajith Kumar is an Indian actor who works predominantly in Tamil cinema. To date, he has starred in over 61 films, and won four Vijay Awards, three Cinema Express Awards, three Filmfare Awards South and three Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. In addition to his acting career, Ajith is also an occasional racing driver and participated in the MRF Racing series (2010) and having competed in circuits around India in places such as Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi. He is one among very few Indians to race in the international arena and in Formula championships. Based on the annual earnings of Indian celebrities, he was included in the Forbes India Celebrity 100 list three times.
Amarkalam is a 1999 Indian Tamil-language romantic action film written and directed by Saran. The film stars Ajith Kumar and Shalini in the lead roles, with Raghuvaran, Radhika and Nassar in supporting roles.
Sivaji: The Boss is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language vigilante action film co-written and directed by S. Shankar and produced by AVM Productions. The film stars Rajinikanth in the main lead role alongside Shriya Saran, Vivek and Suman. In the film, a software systems architect returns to India from US to provide free medical treatment and education, but has to face hurdles from the system and an influential political leader.
Paramasivan is a 2006 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by P. Vasu and produced by S. Ramesh Babu. The film stars Ajith Kumar in the main lead role alongside Jayaram, Laila, Vivek and Prakash Raj. It was released on 14 January 2006 to widespread mixed reviews and had an above average run at the box-office. The film was a remake of the Hindi-language film Kartoos (1999) starring Sanjay Dutt, Jackie Shroff and Manisha Koirala.
Gautham Vasudev Menon is an Indian film director, screenwriter, film producer and actor who predominantly works in Tamil film industry. He has also directed Telugu and Hindi films that were either simultaneously shot with or remakes of his own Tamil films. He has won two National Film Awards, three Nandi Awards and one Tamil Nadu State Film Award.
K. S. Ravikumar is an Indian film director, film producer, screenwriter and actor who primarily works in Tamil cinema and few Telugu films. He is one of the most commercially successful directors of indian cinema.
K. V. Saravanan, better known as Saran, is an Indian film director and screenwriter who active mainly in Tamil cinema. He was once an assistant to K. Balachander. He owns production house called Gemini Productions.
Gemini is a 2002 Indian Tamil-language crime action film written and directed by Saran with Pon Elango as assistant director. This film was produced by AVM Productions. The film stars Vikram in the main lead role, while Kiran Rathod, Murali, Kalabhavan Mani, Vinu Chakravarthy, Manorama and Thennavan portray significant roles. Based on gang wars in Chennai, the film delves into the lives of outlaws and the roles the police and society play in their rehabilitation and acceptance.
Billa is a 2007 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Vishnuvardhan. It is a remake of the 1980 film of the same name starring Rajnikanth, which itself is a remake of 1978 Hindi film Don, starring Amitabh Bachchan. The film stars Ajith Kumar who plays a double role as an underworld don and his friendly look-alike alongside Nayanthara and Namitha, while Prabhu, Rahman, Adithya Menon, and Santhanam playing supporting roles. It is produced by L. Suresh and Abdurrahman M while featuring a score and soundtrack by Yuvan Shankar Raja, cinematography by Nirav Shah and editing by A. Sreekar Prasad.
Ramkumar Ganesan is an Indian film producer and actor. He is the head of Sivaji Productions, a film production company that has produced several films, particularly featuring his father Sivaji Ganesan or his younger brother Prabhu.
Kuselan is a 2008 Indian Tamil-language dramedy film directed by P. Vasu. An official remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol (2007), it was produced by Pushpa Kandaswamy, Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar in two languages. Kuselan stars Rajinikanth in an extended guest appearance with Pasupathy and Meena. It also stars Vadivelu and Livingston in supporting roles. The film was simultaneously made in Telugu as Kathanayakudu.
Aasal is a 2010 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film directed by Saran, who co-wrote the script with Ajith Kumar and Yugi Sethu. The film stars Ajith in dual roles, alongside Sameera Reddy, Bhavana, Prabhu, Pradeep Rawat, Sampath Raj and Rajiv Krishna The film, produced by Prabhu of Sivaji Productions, features music primarily composed by Bharadwaj, cinematography by Prashanth D. Misale and editing by Anthony Gonsalves.
Kathanayakudu is a 2008 Indian Telugu-language drama film produced by Aswani Dutt and G. P. Vijayakumar. It is directed by P. Vasu. The film is a remake of the Malayalam film Kadha Parayumbol (2007) and stars Rajinikanth in an extended guest appearance along with Jagapati Babu and Meena. Sunil and Dharmavarapu play pivotal roles. It was simultaneously made in Tamil as Kuselan.
Puthiya Paravai is a 1964 Indian Tamil-language romantic thriller film directed by Dada Mirasi. Produced by Sivaji Ganesan, the film stars himself, B. Saroja Devi, M. R. Radha and Sowcar Janaki, with Nagesh, Manorama, V. K. Ramasamy, O. A. K. Thevar and S. V. Ramadas in supporting roles. The plot revolves around Gopal, who falls in love with Latha, when his previously presumed-dead wife Chitra arrives. He claims her to be an impostor but no one believes him.
Success is a 2003 Indian Tamil-language film written and directed by Suresh Prasanna. The film featured newcomer Dushyanth in the lead role, a grandson of actor Sivaji Ganesan, while Sonia Agarwal and Nandhana played supporting roles. The film was released in September 2003.
Dushyanth Ramkumar is an Indian actor and film producer working in Tamil language films, who made his debut in Success (2003). After appearing in a couple of films, he has worked as an executive producer for Sivaji Productions. He is the son of Ramkumar Ganesan and grandson of the actor Sivaji Ganesan. He is now acting in South Indian Tamil TV soaps such as Devathai, of for which he is one of the producers.
Shanti Theatre was an Indian movie theatre in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Built by G. Umapathy and D. Shanmuga Raja, and inaugurated in January 1961, it was bought by actor Sivaji Ganesan, and was owned by his family since. In May 2016, Shanti ceased screening films, and was re-invented by its owners as office space.
Chandramukhi (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2005 film of the same name directed by P. Vasu starring Rajinikanth, Prabhu and Jyothika alongside Vadivelu, Nayanthara, Nassar and Sheela. The film's six-song soundtrack and background score are composed by Vidyasagar with lyrics written by Vaali, Yugabharathi, Pa. Vijay, Na. Muthukumar and Bhuvana Chandra. The soundtrack was released on 5 March 2005.