Samikannu Vincent
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox writer
| name = Samikannu Vincent
| image = Samikannu Vincent.jpg
| birth_date = {{birth date|1883|4|18|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kottaimedu, Coimbatore, Madras Presidency
| occupation = Film producer
Film maker
| language = Tamil
| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1942|4|22|1883|4|18}}
| death_place = Coimbatore, Madras Presidency
| nationality = Indian
}}
Samikannu Vincent (18 April 1883 – 22 April 1942) was a filmmaker and cinema exhibitor from Coimbatore, India. He was a pioneer in the movie business in South India. In 1905, he established tent cinemas where movies were projected in a makeshift tent in open spaces which were a precursor to modern day movie theaters. In 1914, he established Variety Hall in Coimbatore, which was one of the first permanent movie theatres in South India. He was later involved in the production and direction of Tamil movies.
Early life and family
Samikannu Vincent was born on 18 April 1883 to Thambusamy in Coimbatore, Madras Presidency, India.{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/pioneering-film-production-in-tamil-nadu/article65665894.ece|title=Pioneering film production in Tamil Nadu|date=21 July 2022|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=31 July 2023}}{{Cite news|url=https://time.news/a-movie-theater-that-bound-people/|title=A movie theater that bound people|newspaper=Time News|date=9 February 2023|access-date=1 March 2023}} He worked as a draftsman-clerk with South Indian Railway at Ponmalai in Tiruchirappalli. Samikannu had four wives with whom he had four sons and two daughters.{{Cite news|date=30 August 2007|title=Down memory lane|newspaper=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/down-memory-lane/article2252632.ece |access-date=19 June 2018}} Samikannu died on 22 April 1942.{{Cite news|date=23 March 2011|title=Memories of Coimbatore: A silent revolution|newspaper=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/A-silent-revolution/article14957596.ece|access-date=19 June 2018}} Tamil film actor J. P. Chandrababu was married to one of the granddaughters of Samikannu.{{Cite news|last=Guy|first=Randor|date=2 October 2009|title=A voice that mesmerised|newspaper=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/A-voice-that-mesmerised/article16884379.ece|access-date=26 March 2023}}
Career
During his career as a clerk with South Indian railway, Samikannu was exposed to short films exhibited by DuPont, a French film exhibitor.{{Cite news|date=30 April 2010|title=He brought cinema to South|newspaper=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/He-brought-cinema-to-South/article16373561.ece |access-date=19 June 2018}} In 1905, When DuPont wanted to return home, Samikannu raised money to buy the projector, accessories and films used by DuPont for {{INRconvert|2250}}. He resigned his job and set up business as a film exhibitor screening films across India, Afghanistan and Myanmar. He established "tent cinemas" which were effectively make shift tents erected on open land close to a town or village, pioneering the cinema show business in South India.{{Cite news|date=18 October 2013|title=A way of life|newspaper=Frontline|url=https://www.frontline.in/arts-and-culture/cinema/a-way-of-life/article5189219.ece|access-date=19 June 2018}}
Samikannu established the first tent cinema at Madras called Edison's Grand Cinemamegaphone. The electrically lit tents drew large crowds and quickly became popular. Buoyed by the success, Samikannu established a brick and mortar cinema house called "Variety Hall" in 1914, which was one of the first permanent movie theatres in South India.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/Cinema-and-the-city/article15513259.ece|title=Cinema and the city|date=9 January 2009|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=1 March 2023}}{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/coimbatore/farewell-to-old-cinema-halls/articleshow/8202426.cms|title=Farewell to old cinema halls|date=9 May 2011|newspaper=Times of India|access-date=19 June 2018}} The cinema hall initially screened silent films with commentary, later moving on to talkie films with the evolution of Indian cinema.{{Cite news |date=14 March 2013 |title=Born in Coimbatore |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/born-in-coimbatore/article5784880.ece |access-date=19 June 2018 |newspaper=The Hindu}} However, in {{Circa|1912-14}}, Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu had already established Gaiety Theatre on Mount Road, as the first ever permanent cinema theatre in Madras and all of South India.{{Cite web |title=History of Birth and Growth of Telugu Cinema (Part 3) |url=http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema3.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070411133017/http://www.cinegoer.com/telugucinema3.htm |archive-date=11 April 2007 |website=CineGoer.com}}
In 1916, he established a printing press near his theatre to print handbills. Called an electric printing works, he used the cinema house's power plant to power the machinery for the press. In 1919, he established the first power-driven rice and flour mill in Coimbatore. In 1922, with the aid of C. P. Ramaswamy Aiyer, then member of the Governor's Executive Council of the Government of Madras, Samikannu brought an electric generator to set up a power house and lighted up the Variety Hall road in Coimbatore.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/tamil-nadu/tracing-coimbatore-s-rich-heritage-through-cinema-and-industry-93371|title=Tracing Coimbatore’s rich heritage through cinema and industry|newspaper=News Minute|date=14 December 2018|access-date=1 June 2023}}
In 1933, Samikannu along with Pioneer film company in Calcutta co-produced Valli Thirumanam, based on the story of Hindu God Murugan. It was directed by P. V. Rao with T.P. Rajalakshmi in the lead role and went on to become a commercial success.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/Blast-from-the-past-Srivalli-1961/article15459707.ece|title=Blast from the past: Srivalli|date=26 February 2011|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=1 June 2023}} He also co-produced other Tamil movies such as Sampoorna Harichandra and Subhadra Parinayam later.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/cinema-columns/subhadhra-parinayam-1935/article5128721.ece|title=Subhadhra Parinayam (1935)|last=Guy|first=Randor|newspaper=The Hindu|date=14 September 2013|access-date=20 October 2018}} In 1935, when Central Studios was established in Coimbatore, Samikannu joined the studio as a director.
Legacy
Samikannu's birthday is celebrated as Cinema Theater Day.{{Cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/calling-film-lovers-out-to-the-theatres/article5806680.ece|title=Calling film lovers out to theatres|date=20 March 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|access-date=1 June 2023}} A Tamil documentary Pezhamozi (Silent Language) based on Samikannu's life was released in 2016.{{Cite news|date=13 January 2016|title=From the shadows into the limelight|newspaper=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/From-the-shadows-into-the-limelight/article14027204.ece|access-date=19 June 2018}}