Gemini Studios was an Indian film studio based in Madras, Tamil Nadu. It was launched when S. S. Vasan, a businessman of many ventures (including the ownership of Ananda Vikatan) bought Motion Picture Producers' Combines from Krishnaswamy Subrahmanyam and renamed it.[1] The studio re-opened under the name Gemini. Despite the common beliefs about a lucky racehorse or the astrological sign of his wife, it was the logo Vasan chose that led to the name. Subrahmanyam had shown him a picture of his very young boys, blowing on toy trumpets in the nude. Vasan chose the pose to craft the logo and hence the name Gemini—The Twins.[2] The new facade also had statues of ‘The Gemini Twins’, blowing the bugle. Gemini Studios served as a breeding ground for innumerable artists and technicians for the south Indian Film Industry. The Gemini twins became a household symbol and the Gemini flyover was named after the original studio at that junction. Gemini Studios is one of the few producers in Tamil cinema to survive beyond 100 productions along with AVM, Modern Theatres, Thenandal Films, etc.
A chapter called "Poets and Pancakes" is based upon Gemini studios which is an excerpt from a novel My years with the Boss by Asokamitran is in the English curriculum of Class 12th Flamingo textbook by NCERT.
S.S.Vasan bought from his friend K. Subramanyam a Film distribution business Motion Picture Producers' Combines studio on Mount Road for Rs.86,427-11-9,the odd figure arrived at through including the interest on unpaid wages of the employees and it was renamed as Gemini Studios in the year 1940.[3] G. Kamble, a painter from Kolhapur worked at the studios in his early life.[4]
| Year | Film | Language | Director | Music | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | Madanakamarajan | Tamil | B. N. Rao | S. Rajeswara Rao & M. D. Parthasarathy | with the arrival of K. Ramnoth, a cameraman and scenarist, and A. K. Sekhar, art director brought many changes in production. |
| 1941 | Jeevana Mukthi | Telugu | T. V. Neelakantan | S. Rajeswara Rao | is their first film in Telugu language remake of Bhaktha Chetha (1940) of K. Subramanyam.[5] |
| 1941 | Nandanar | Tamil | Murugadasa | S. Rajeswara Rao & M. D. Parthasarathy | starring M. M. Dandapani Desikar and Serukalathur Sama |
| 1942 | Mangamma Sapatham | Tamil | Acharya | S. Rajeswara Rao & M. D. Parthasarathy | |
| 1944 | Kannamma En Kadhali | Tamil | Kothamangalam Subbu | M. D. Parthasarathy | |
| 1943 | Dasi Aparanji | Tamil | B. N. Rao | S. Rajeswara Rao & M. D. Parthasarathy | |
| 1946 | Miss Malini | Tamil | Kothamangalam Subbu | S. Rajeswara Rao & P. S. Anandaraman | |
| 1947 | Kalpana | Hindi | Uday Shankar | Vishnudas Shirali | This was Uday Shankar's dance spectacular, shot at the studio, that set the trend for future choreographers. |
| 1947 | Chandralekha | Tamil | S. S. Vasan | S. Rajeswara Rao & M. D. Parthasarathy | a magnificent movie by S. S. Vasan that was a first for a Tamil to achieve All India distribution and brought excellent returns. |
| 1947 | Chandralekha | Hindi | S. S. Vasan | S. Rajeswara Rao & M. D. Parthasarathy | a magnificent movie by S. S. Vasan that was a first for a Tamil to achieve All India distribution and brought excellent returns. |
| 1948 | Apoorva Sahodarargal | Tamil | Acharya | S. Rajeswara Rao, M. D. Parthasarathy & R. Vaidyanathan | A `costume adventure` film in three languages – Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and a major success. |
| 1948 | Nishanl | Hindi | Acharya | S. Rajeswara Rao, M. D. Parthasarathy & R. Vaidyanathan | A `costume adventure` film in three languages – Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and a major success. |
| 1948 | Apoorva Sahodarulu | Telugu | Acharya | S. Rajeswara Rao, M. D. Parthasarathy & R. Vaidyanathan | A `costume adventure` film in three languages – Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, and a major success. |
| 1951 | Moondru Pillaigal | Tamil | R. Nagendra Rao | M. D. Parthasarathy & P. S. Anandaraman | |
| 1951 | Mugguru Kodukulu | Telugu | R. Nagendra Rao | M. D. Parthasarathy & P. S. Anandaraman | |
| 1952 | Avvaiyyar | Tamil | Kothamangalam Subbu | M. D. Parthasarathy, P. S. Anandaraman & Mayavaram Venu | A Tamil film that proved a major box-office hit. |
| 1953 | Rajee En Kanmani | Tamil | K. J. Mahadevan | S. Hanumantha Rao | |
| 1953 | Rajee Naa Pranam | Telugu | K. J. Mahadevan | S. Hanumantha Rao | |
| 1954 | Insaniyat | Hindi | S. S. Vasan | C. Ramchandra | film starring Dilip Kumar and Dev Anand. |
| 1957 | Vanjikottai Valiban | Tamil | S. S. Vasan | C. Ramchandra | starring Gemini Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala and Padmini. |
| 1957 | Raj Tilak | Hindi | S. S. Vasan | C. Ramchandra | starring Gemini Ganesan, Vyjayanthimala and Padmini. |
| 1958 | Paigham | Hindi | S. S. Vasan | C. Ramchandra | A Hindi film starring Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Raaj Kumar. |
| 1963 | Zindagi | Hindi | Ramanand Sagar | Shankar- Jaikishan | A Hindi film starring Rajendra Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Raaj Kumar. |
| 1965 4 | Vaazhkai Padagu | Tamil | C. Srinivasan | Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy | A Tamil film starring Gemini Ganesan, Devika |
| 1965 | Motor Sundaram Pillai | Tamil | S. S. Balan | M. S. Viswanathan | This was Sivaji Ganesan's sole film for Gemini Studios. After S. S. Vasan's death, his son S. S. Balasubramanyam took the reins. |
| 1967 | Oli Vilakku | Tamil | Tapi Chanakya | M. S. Viswanathan | MGR Film with S. S. Vasan |
| 1968 | Manushulu Marali | Telugu | V. Madhusudhana Rao | K. V. Mahadevan | starring Shoban Babu |
| 1969 | Samaj Ko Badal Dalo | Hindi | V. Madhusudhana Rao | Ravi | starring Parikshit Sahni, Sharada, Prem Chopra and Pran. |
| 1970 | Irulum Oliyum | Tamil | Puttanna Kanagal | K. V. Mahadevan | starring A. V. M. Rajan, Vanisri |
| 1976 | Ellorum Nallavare | Tamil | S. S. Balan | V. Kumar | This was a flop and the studio's fortunes declined in the 70s and it was taken over by Anand Cine Services later. |
After the studio was abandoned for two decades, the headquarters was demolished and replaced by a luxury hotel called The Park in 2002.[6][7]
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