S.S. Vasan
A commemorative postage stamp on the Death Anniversary of Subramaniam Srinivasan, founder of Tamil magazine ‘Ananda Vikatan‘ and film production company Gemini Studios, Gemini Film Laboratories & Gemini Picture Circuit :
Issued by India
Issued on Aug 26, 2004
Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to honour S.S. Vasan with the issue of a commemorative postage stamp which also depicts a glimpse of the famous drum-dance from his film “Chandralekha”.
Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Sankha Samanta
Cancellation : Alka Sharma
Type : Stamp, Mint Condition
Colour : Multicolour
Denomination : 500 Paise
Print Quantity : 0.4 Million
Printing Process : Photogravure
Printer : India Security Press, Nashik
Name : Subramaniam Srinivasan
Born on Jan 4, 1904 at Thiruthuraipoondi, Thiruvarur, Tamil Nadu, India
Died on Aug 26, 1969 at Chennai, India
About :
- Thiruthuraipoondi Subramanian Srinivasan, familiarly known as S.S. Vasan, was born on 16 January, 1904 in a Brahmin family. His father died when S.S. Vasan was two months old and his unlettered but courageous mother brought him up with love, care and concern for the values of life. After early schooling at Thiruthuraipoondi and Tiruchi, in his mid-teens S.S. Vasan cycled all the way to Madras and joined a pre-degree course in the Pachaiyappa’s College.
- S.S. Vasan was an unparalleled journalist, media baron, film producer and distributor. He commenced his journalistic career by translating English novels into Tamil and by writing original novels, which he sold to publishers. He sensed immense business potential in catalogue trading through VPP – a predecessor to tele-shopping. S.S. Vasan collected material about the goods he sold, which took him to advertising. He was in constant touch not only with book publishers but also with magazines and newspapers, where he advertised and solicited advertisements on their behalf too. He became a one-man ad agency. To get business he travelled constantly from town to town. Besides his ad business, Vasan’s other line of activity, mail order, equally novel for the day, did fairly well. He wished to run a publication of his own. So in 1928 he acquired “Ananda Vikatan” a Tamil weekly and within months he had increased its circulation threefold by doubling the contents and reducing the price. “Ananda Vikatan” became the nursery for many budding writers and cartoonists.
- Starting as a film distributor, he went on to found Gemini Studios in Madras in 1941 after turning to the film business in 1939. As a film producer, S.S. Vasan occupies a prominent position in the film world and is a pioneer in the production of Hindi films in South India. He was actively associated with the Indian and Eastern Newspaper Society and All India Newspaper Editors’ Conference. He was the first Chairman of the Film Federation of India and also presided over the South Indian Film Chamber of Commerce. S.S. Vasan remained President of South Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association. S.S. Vasan made significant contribution to promoting the film industry in India. He produced films in Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali and other languages. S.S. Vasan was honoured with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India for his outstanding services to nation building through art and culture. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1964. S.S. Vasan passed away on August 26, 1969.
- Text : Based on material given by the proponent.
