P. Subramaniam

Padmanabha Subramaniam (19 February 1910 – 4 October 1979) was an Indian film producer, film director, distributor, theatre owner, and mayor. He is the founder of Merryland Studio (established in 1951), the second film studio in Kerala.

From mid-1950s to late 1970s, he produced 69 films of which 59 films were directed by himself. His ''Kumara Sambhavam'' won the first ever Kerala State Film Award for Best Film. His 1958 film ''Randidangazhi'' received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Malayalam. He contributed the proceedings from his 1975 film ''Swami Ayyappan'' for the development of Sabarimala shrine in Kerala, where he constructed a road named Swamy Ayyappan Road.

He contributed significantly to the Malayalam cinema, by starting cinema exhibition houses, distribution ventures, a film studio and a production company for making films with both devotional and social themes. His venture Merryland Studio (established in 1951) was the second film production studio of Kerala, after its major competitor Udaya Studio. The films were produced under the banner Neela Productions, named after his mother, Neelammal. Provided by Wikipedia