Udaya Studios

Udaya Studios was one of the oldest film studios in the Malayalam film industry of India. It was established in 1947 by director-producer Kunchacko (1912–1976) and film distributor K. V. Koshy in Pathirappally, Alappuzha in Kerala.[1] The studio influenced the gradual shift of Malayalam film industry from its original base of Chennai, Tamil Nadu to Trivandrum, now considered a milestone in the history of Malayalam film industry.[2][3] The first film of the studio was Vellinakshatram (1949).[4]

Udaya Studios
TypeFilm production
IndustryMotion pictures
Founded1947 (1947)
FounderKunchacko
HeadquartersPathirappally, Alappuzha, Kerala
Key people
Kunchacko
Navodaya Appachan
Boban Kunchacko
ProductsFilms
DivisionsExcel Productions

The films produced at the studio were produced under the banner of K & K Combines, and later under Excel Productions (also spelt X. L. Productions). Udaya's professional rivalry with P. Subramaniam's Merryland Studio was quite famous.[5] After Excel Productions became defunct, Kunchacko Boban established a new film production company named Udaya Pictures in 2016.

History

Kunchacko established a film production company named Udaya Pictures in 1947, though he continued production at traditional base of Malayalam film, Chennai, but it all changed in 1947 when he came together with film distributors K. V. Koshy and R. A. Krishnan and established Udaya Studios in Alleppey (Alappuzha), and in time the studio also set up its own distribution network. Soon it had a string of successes with blockbusters based on Vadakkan Pattu.

After Kunchako's death in 1976, his son, director Boban Kunchacko, took over the functioning, but after his death in 2004 at the age of 55, the studio saw some bad days. However, Dr. Avinash Unnithan (Suryamangalam Group) has purchased the plot where the studio was located and another studio under a different name is in preparation to be set up, like an air-conditioned shooting floor and other facilities attached to it, but also taking utmost care to preserve the old structures, thereby keeping alive the nostalgic feel of the place.

The legendary Udaya Pictures banner is still owned by famous cine actor Kunchacko Boban, who is also the grandson of Kunchacko. Udaya has made a comeback after 30 years by producing the movie Kocchavva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho.

Resuming production

Years after the defunct Excel Productions, Kunchacko Boban established a new film production company Udaya Pictures and produced the 2016 film Kochauvva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho directed by Sidhartha Siva, thus reviving the prestigious Malayalam production house after 30 years.[6][7][8]

See also

References
  1. Chelangad, Saju (20 April 2014). "How Udaya Productions came to be". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  2. "Renaissance for Udaya Studio". The Hindu. 29 April 2009. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.
  3. Asha Kasbekar (2006). Pop culture India!: media, arts, and lifestyle. ABC-CLIO. p. 234. ISBN 1-85109-636-1.
  4. Ommen. p. 50.
  5. Lekshmy Gopalakrishnan (2 January 2009). "Visionary and entrepreneur". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 7 March 2011.
  6. "Udaya Pictures announces its comeback project". The Times of India. 5 March 2016.
  7. "Kunchacko Boban announces 'Kochauvva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho'". Sify. 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016.
  8. "Kochauvva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho Produced by Udaya Studios". cochintalkies. 7 March 2016.
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