2023-01-13 Fri

In honour of Thiruthuraipoondi Subramanian Srinivasan, also known as S. S. Vasan, who was born on January 16, 1904, the Department of Posts, has issued a commemorative stamp. He was a renowned journalist, media mogul, producer, and distributor of motion pictures. He started his journalistic career by creating original books and translating English novels into Tamil, which he then submitted to publishers. He saw the enormous profitability and potential of catalog trade via VPP, the forerunner to teleshopping.

He entered the cinema industry in 1939 as a film distributor and then established Gemini Studios in Madras in 1941. As a producer, S.S. Vasan is well-known in the industry and is credited for starting the Hindi cinema industry in South India. He served as the first chairman of the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce and the Film Federation of India.

The Indian government awarded S.S. Vasan the Padma Bhushan for his remarkable contributions to the development of the country through art and culture. In 1964, he was chosen to serve in the Rajya Sabha; he passed dead on August 26, 1969.

Image Courtesy: colnect.com