Daijiworld Media Network – Chennai
Chennai, May 22: Actor R Madhavan is set to portray legendary inventor and industrialist Gopalaswamy Doraiswamy Naidu, popularly known as GD Naidu, in the upcoming biographical drama ‘GDN’, scheduled for worldwide release on July 17.
The makers announced the release date on Thursday along with the film’s first poster carrying the words “Vision. Innovation. Legacy.”
Directed by Krishnakumar Ramakumar, the film is inspired by the extraordinary life journey of GD Naidu, widely referred to as the “Edison of India” for his pioneering contributions to Indian industry and innovation.
The movie will release in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.
‘GDN’ is produced by Varghese Moolan and Vijay Moolan under Varghese Moolan Pictures, along with R Madhavan and Sarita Madhavan under their banner Tricolour Films. The film has been shot entirely in Coimbatore, the city closely associated with GD Naidu’s life and achievements.
Apart from Madhavan, the film features an ensemble cast including Sathyaraj, Jayaram, Priyamani, Dushara Vijayan, Thambi Ramaiah, Vinay Rai and Yogi Babu. Aravind Kamalanathan has handled cinematography and also serves as creative producer.
Born in 1893 in Kalangal near Coimbatore, GD Naidu came from a modest farming family and reportedly dropped out of school during the third standard. Fascinated by machines and engineering from a young age, he began his career as a bus cleaner before venturing into entrepreneurship and industrial innovation.
In 1920, he launched a transport service between Pollachi and Palani with a single vehicle, which later grew into the successful Universal Motor Service.
In 1937, his company National Electric Works manufactured India’s first electric motor, marking a significant milestone in the country’s industrial history. He also developed agricultural machinery, automobile components and even built a prototype petrol-powered car, though plans for large-scale production were reportedly halted after government licensing issues.
GD Naidu’s contributions continue to be remembered through the G.D. Naidu Science Museum and Industrial Exhibition in Coimbatore, established in 1967. Tamil Nadu’s longest bridge is also named in his honour.
The biopic aims to bring the remarkable journey of one of India’s lesser-known industrial visionaries to a wider audience.