Shanmugasundaram is better known by his screen name, A.V.M. Rajan. He was born in Pudhukottai on 26 July 1935.
Nursing an old injury, he struggled to make a break into films. Eventually, he was given a small role in Shankar’s S.S. Rajendran starrer, Sivagangai Seemai. However, his scenes were deleted from the final cut.
He was then signed on to play a role T.S. Durairaj’s Kaka Radhakrishnan starrer, Aayiram Kaalathu Payiru where he was credited on screen as Raja B.A./ However, that film was delayed, and his third signing – A.C. Thirulokachander’s S.S. Rajendran-Vijayakumarie starrer, Naanum oru Penn – became his first released film. He played S.S. Rajendran’s screen brother in the film. Since Naanum oru Penn was produced by A.V.M. Productions, he was subsequently known as A.V.M. Rajan.
It was on the sets of Naanum oru Penn that Rajan first met actress Pushpalatha. They fell in love – which was quite a scandal since Rajan was already married at the time. The couple were married the next year.
The couple appeared in many films together, including the 1967 hit film Karpooram which won the Filmfare Award for Best Film and the Tamil Nadu Best Actor Award for A.V.M. Rajan.
Rajan’s last film was the 1987 Rama Narayanan directorial, Veeran Velu Thambi.
Rajan continues his work as a full-team preacher.
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