New Delhi, Dec. 4 -- Veteran film producer M Saravanan, revered as a pillar of Tamil cinema and the guiding force behind the legendary AVM Studios in Chennai, passed away on Thursday at the age of 86.

Among those who arrived to pay their final respects was Superstar Rajinikanth, who recalled the long professional association he had with AVM Studios. The two collaborated on multiple films.

Speaking to the media after paying his respects to the late film producer, Rajinikanth described Saravanan as a "wonderful person," adding that he worked on 9 films under the AVM banner, all of which became major successes.

He said, "He was a wonderful person. I acted in nine films under the AVM banner, and all of them were hits. He had immense faith ...