Rangaswamy Nataraja Mudaliar was born in 1885 in Vellore, Madras Presidency, British India in a wealthy Tamil Thuluva Vellala family.

His father, Rangaswamy was a successful trader and one of his uncles was the legendary doctor of Madras, M. R. Gurusamy Mudaliar.

After completing his schooling, Mudaliar came to Madras (now Chennai) to set up his business as the city was the capital of the province.

[3] The business became successful as the partners acquired a foreign firm, "Romar Dan & Company" in 1911, that dealt with the import of American cars and automobile spare parts.

At the time cinematographers from Britain were filming a documentary on Lord Curzon, then the Governor-General and Viceroy of India.

[3][4] He brought together some of his business friends allowing them to invest on the production house and established South India's first studio on Miller's Road, Purasawalkam, Madras.