Ananda Vikatan

Biography

Ananda Vikatan is a well-known Tamil weekly magazine published from Chennai, India. It was originally launched in February 1926 by Pudhoor Vaidyanadhaiyar as a monthly publication. After facing financial troubles and missing the December 1927 issue, the magazine was bought by Subramaniam Srinivasan in January 1928 for ₹200 and was relaunched in a new format the following month. Under his leadership, Ananda Vikatan grew into a successful weekly magazine.

His son, S. Balasubramanian, a prominent media figure, served as editor, managing director, and publisher for nearly 50 years until 2006. He introduced the "Manavar Thittam" (Student Journalism Program) and launched Junior Vikatan, an investigative biweekly, in the 1980s. After retirement, he became chairman emeritus, and his son B. Srinivasan took over.

Expansion into Visual Media

In the late 1990s, the group entered television production through Vikatan Televistas, producing popular serials on Sun TV such as Thirumathi Selvam and Thendral. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, they moved away from Sun TV and began producing content for other channels.

Since 2021, they have been creating shows for Star Vijay, such as Thamizhum Saraswatiyum and Siragadikka Aasai. In 2023, they debuted on Kalaignar TV with Ranjithame.
In 2024, they entered the Hindi television industry by co-producing Udne Ki Aasha for StarPlus.

Film Production

The company also ventured into cinema through Vikatan Talkies, successfully producing the film Siva Manasula Sakthi, which helped launch director Rajesh’s career. Their next film, Valmiki, was commercially unsuccessful.

Today, the Vikatan Group continues to produce television programs and has expanded into digital media with news clips, interviews, and other online content.