Udaya Studios

Udaya Studios is 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 Chennai, Tamil Nadu to Kerala.^[2][3] The first film of the studio was Vellinakshatram (1949).^[4]

Udaya Studios

Company type	Film production
Industry	Motion pictures
Founded	1947 (1947)
Founder	Kunchacko
Headquarters	Pathirappally, Alappuzha, Kerala
Key people	Kunchacko Navodaya Appachan Boban Kunchacko
Products	Films
Divisions	Excel Productions

The films made at the studio were produced under the banner of K & K Productions, and later under Excel Productions (also spelt X. L. Productions). Udaya's professional rivalry with P. Subramaniam's Maryland Studio was quite famous.^[5]

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.

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]

Films

Under Udaya Studios

• Unniyarcha (1961)
• Palattukoman (1962)
• Othenante Makan (1970)
• Aromalunni (1972)
• Ponnapuram Kotta (1973)
• Thumbolarcha (1974)
• Kannappanunni (1977)
• Palattu Kunjikannan (1980)

Under Udaya Pictures

• Kochauvva Paulo Ayyappa Coelho (2016)
• Nna Thaan Case Kodu (2022)
• Bougainvillea (2024) (co-produced with Amal Neerad Productions)

See also

• Navodaya Studio
• Merryland Studio

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.

External links

• Udaya Studios at Wikimapia