CHENNAI: Arun Veerappan, who served as an executive producer in studios like AVM Productions and Gemini Studios, passed away at the age of 90. Son-in-law of the legendary producer AV Meiyappan, Arun Veerappan served as an executive producer for the 1960 film Kalathur Kannamma, which is famous for marking the debut of Kamal Haasan as a child actor.
With a career in film production spanning several decades, he also produced films like Mehrban, Paisa ya Pyar, and Main Chup Rahungi, and directed films like Zameen Aasmaan and Unnidathil Naan. He was also instrumental in creating the Tamil dubbed versions of several acclaimed international films like Disney’s The Lion King (1994) and Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi (1982).
Remembering Arun Veerappan’s legacy, Jayendra Panchapakesan, the co-founder of Qube Cinema Technologies, says, “He was a man who breathed cinema all his life. He founded Media Artists, a leading state-of-the-art music recording and audio post-production studios. He was also the co-founder of Qube, who constantly inspired the company to break new ground and introduce revolutionary technologies to the industry. He watched movies like a kid admiring the finest nuances that would get missed in casual viewing.”
Arun Veerappan is survived by his wife Meena, sons Siva and Senthil (co-founder, Qube Cinema Technologies), and daughter Vijayalakshmi.