Sohrab Modi

Sohrab Modi Biography

Sohrab Modi was an Indian Parsi stage and film actor, director and producer. He was one of the earliest film maker and actor of India. His films are famous for strong social messages and many of them are based on historic events. His memorable movies include - Sikandar, Pukar, Khoon ka khoon, Prithvi Vallabh, Jhansi ki Rani, Mirza Ghalib, and Nausherwan-e-dil. Many of them are based on social issues. Modi received Dadasaheb Phalke Award in the year 1980 for his contributions to Indian Cinema. He has also acted in many movies since 1935 and Razia Sulthana, released in the year 1983 was his last movie.

Sohrab Merwanji Modi was born 2 November 1897 in Bombay. After studies, he became travelling exhibitor in Gwalior, accompanied by his brother. At 16 he used project films in Gwalior's Town Hall and at 26 set up his Arya Subhodh Theatrical Company. He became a stage actor of Parsi theatre and later moved to silent films as well. He earned quite a reputation as a Shakespearean actor and travelled India wide with brother's theatrical company. But with the era of talkies, theatres saw a decline and to rescue this dying art, Modi set up the Stage Film Company in 1935.

The first two movies produced under this banner were Khoon ka Khoon (1935) and Saed-e-Havas (1936); both were the film versions of his successful plays based on Shakespeare works. Unfortunately both failed at box office. He then launched Minerva Movietone in 1936. The earliest films produced under this banner were Meetha Zaher (1938) and Talaq (1938). Both these movies based on social issues were successful at box office. Yet he got attracted towards historic events and stories. Pukar (1939), Sikander (1941) and Prithvi Vallabh (1943) were the movies released next, of which Sikander is regarded as a classic movie in the era of 1940’s which immortalized Prithviraj Kapoor playing the title role.

He was married to his heroine of his movie Parakh, Mehtab, an actress 20 years his junior. Earler he had a relationship with his heroine Naseem who debut cinema world through his movies. Sohrab is also known for introducing technicolour in Indian cinema through Jhansi ki rani in 1953.

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Updated: November 19, 2013