Sohrab Modi - Revision history

->DAK writer at 04:40, 1 November 2021

2021-11-01T04:40:09Z

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			{{Short description\|Early Indian Actor, Director, and Producer}}
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	\| caption = Modi in 1931		\| caption = Modi in 1931
	\| birth_name =		\| birth_name =
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|df=yes\|1897\|11\|02}}		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|df=yes\|1897\|11\|02}}, [[Bombay]], [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]
	\| birth_place =		\| birth_place =
	\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1984\|01\|28\|1897\|11\|02}}		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|df=yes\|1984\|01\|28\|1897\|11\|02}}, [[Bombay]], [[Maharashtra]]
	\| death_place =		\| death_place =
	\| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord\|LAT\|LONG\|type:landmark\|display=inline}} -->		\| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord\|LAT\|LONG\|type:landmark\|display=inline}} -->

imported>KungfuPanda2008 at 17:10, 24 July 2021

2021-07-24T17:10:04Z

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	{{Use Indian English\|date=~~December 2020~~}}		{{Use Indian English\|date=February 2016}}
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	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
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	\| influenced =		\| influenced =
	\| home_town =		\| home_town =
	\| spouse = [[Mehtab (actress)\|Mehtab ~~Modi~~]]		\| spouse = {{marriage\|[[Mehtab (actress)\|Mehtab]]\|1946\|1984\|reason=his death}}
	\| partner =		\| partner =
	\| children =		\| children =
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	}}		}}

	'''Sohrab Merwanji Modi''' (2 November 1897 – 28 January 1984) was an [[India]]n stage and film actor, director and producer.<ref name="GulazāraNihalani2003">{{cite book\|author1=Gulazāra\|author2=Govind Nihalani\|author3=Saibal Chatterjee\|title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT614\|year=2003\|publisher=Popular Prakashan\|isbn=978-81-7991-066-5\|pages=614–\|access-date=16 October 2016\|archive-date=11 October 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011211242/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT614\|url-status=live}}</ref> His films include ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935), a version of Shakespeare's ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)\|Sikandar]]'', ''Pukar'', ''[[Prithvi Vallabh]]'', ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)\|Jhansi ki Rani]]'', ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]]'', Jailor and ''[[Nausherwan-E-Adil]]'' (1957). His films always carried a message of strong commitment to social and national issues.<ref name=upperstall>{{cite web\|url=https://upperstall.com/profile/sohrab-modi/\|title=Sohrab Modi profile\|website=Upperstall.com website\|author=Karan Bali\|~~accessdate~~=27 November 2019\|archive-date=27 November 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127191427/https://upperstall.com/profile/sohrab-modi/\|url-status=live}}</ref>		'''Sohrab Merwanji Modi''' (2 November 1897 – 28 January 1984) was an [[India]]n stage and film actor, director and producer.<ref name="GulazāraNihalani2003">{{cite book\|author1=Gulazāra\|author2=Govind Nihalani\|author3=Saibal Chatterjee\|title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema\|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT614\|year=2003\|publisher=Popular Prakashan\|isbn=978-81-7991-066-5\|pages=614–\|access-date=16 October 2016\|archive-date=11 October 2020\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011211242/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT614\|url-status=live}}</ref> His films include ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935), a version of Shakespeare's ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)\|Sikandar]]'', ''Pukar'', ''[[Prithvi Vallabh]]'', ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)\|Jhansi ki Rani]]'', ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]]'', Jailor and ''[[Nausherwan-E-Adil]]'' (1957). His films always carried a message of strong commitment to social and national issues.<ref name=upperstall>{{cite web\|url=https://upperstall.com/profile/sohrab-modi/\|title=Sohrab Modi profile\|website=Upperstall.com website\|author=Karan Bali\|access-date=27 November 2019\|archive-date=27 November 2019\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127191427/https://upperstall.com/profile/sohrab-modi/\|url-status=live}}</ref>

	==Early life==		==Early life==
	[[File:Sikandar, 1941, Sohrab Modi.jpg~~\|right~~\|thumb\|Sohrab Modi in film ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)\|Sikandar]]'' (1941).]]		[[File:Sikandar, 1941, Sohrab Modi.jpg\|thumb\|Sohrab Modi in film ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)\|Sikandar]]'' (1941).\|300x300px]]
	Sohrab Merwanji Modi was born 2 November 1897 in Bombay.<ref name=upperstall/> After finishing school, he became travelling exhibitor in Gwalior with his brother Keki Modi. At 16 he used project films in Gwalior's Town Hall and at 26 set up his Arya Subhodh Theatrical Company.<ref>{{cite book\|last=~~[[Amrit Gangar\|~~Gangar]]\|first=[[Amrit ~~Gangar~~\|Amrit]]\|title=The Legends of Indian Cinema – Sohrab Modi\|year=2008\|publisher=Wisdom Tree\|location=New Delhi\|isbn=978-81-8328-108-9\|page=6}}</ref>		Sohrab Merwanji Modi was born 2 November 1897 in Bombay.<ref name=upperstall/> After finishing school, he became travelling exhibitor in Gwalior with his brother Keki Modi. At 16 he used project films in Gwalior's Town Hall and at 26 set up his Arya Subhodh Theatrical Company.<ref>{{cite book\|last=Gangar\|first=Amrit\|author-link=Amrit Gangar\|title=The Legends of Indian Cinema – Sohrab Modi\|year=2008\|publisher=Wisdom Tree\|location=New Delhi\|isbn=978-81-8328-108-9\|page=6}}</ref>

	Sohrab began as a [[Parsi theatre]] actor with some experience in silent films. He earned quite a reputation as a Shakespearean actor, travelling throughout India with his brother's theatrical company and enjoying the tremendous sense of fulfillment every time the curtain came down and the audience applauded. However, with the advent of the sound film in 1931, theatre was declining. To rescue this dying art, Modi set up the Stage Film Company in 1935. His first two films were filmed versions of plays. ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935) was an adaptation of ''Hamlet'' and marked Naseem Bano's acting debut. The second, ''[[Said-e-Havas]]'' (1936) was based on Shakespeare's ''[[The Life and Death of King John\|King John]]''. Both films failed at the box office.<ref name=upperstall/>		Sohrab began as a [[Parsi theatre]] actor with some experience in silent films. He earned quite a reputation as a Shakespearean actor, travelling throughout India with his brother's theatrical company and enjoying the tremendous sense of fulfillment every time the curtain came down and the audience applauded. However, with the advent of the sound film in 1931, theatre was declining. To rescue this dying art, Modi set up the Stage Film Company in 1935. His first two films were filmed versions of plays. ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935) was an adaptation of ''Hamlet'' and marked Naseem Bano's acting debut. The second, ''[[Said-e-Havas]]'' (1936) was based on Shakespeare's ''[[The Life and Death of King John\|King John]]''. Both films failed at the box office.<ref name=upperstall/>
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	Sohrab Modi was born into a [[Parsis\|Parsi]] family on 2 November 1897. His father was an [[Indian civil servant]]. He spent his childhood in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh\|Rampur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] where he developed a liking for [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] languages.<ref name=cineplot/>		Sohrab Modi was born into a [[Parsis\|Parsi]] family on 2 November 1897. His father was an [[Indian civil servant]]. He spent his childhood in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh\|Rampur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] where he developed a liking for [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] languages.<ref name=cineplot/>

	Sohrab Modi was married to [[Mehtab (actress)\|Mehtab]] Modi,<ref name=upperstall/> an actress born into an aristocratic [[Gujarati Muslim\|Muslim]] family from [[Gujarat]], who began her career in his movie Parakh (1944). They married on her birthday on 28 April 1946. They had a son, Mehelli, from this marriage<ref name=r1>[http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ Yesteryear actress Mehtab remembers her husband Sohrab Modi] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223030130/http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ \|date=23 December 2014 }} Cineplot.com website (14 September 2013), Retrieved 27 November 2019</ref> who settled in the UK in 1967, where he would later found the British arthouse DVD label Second Run.<ref>[https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity London’s Second Run DVD is rescuing rare arthouse films from obscurity] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190159/https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity \|date=1 August 2018 }}. Scroll.in (29 March 2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-09.</ref> Mehtab had a son, Ismail from her first marriage, who lived with them.<ref name=~~cineplot~~/><ref name=r1/>		Sohrab Modi was married to [[Mehtab (actress)\|Mehtab]] Modi,<ref name=upperstall/> an actress born into an aristocratic [[Gujarati Muslim\|Muslim]] family from [[Gujarat]], who began her career in his movie Parakh (1944). They married on her birthday on 28 April 1946. They had a son, Mehelli, from this marriage<ref name=r1>[http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ Yesteryear actress Mehtab remembers her husband Sohrab Modi] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223030130/http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ \|date=23 December 2014 }} Cineplot.com website (14 September 2013), Retrieved 27 November 2019</ref> who settled in the UK in 1967, where he would later found the British arthouse DVD label Second Run.<ref>[https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity London’s Second Run DVD is rescuing rare arthouse films from obscurity] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190159/https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity \|date=1 August 2018 }}. Scroll.in (29 March 2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-09.</ref> Mehtab had a son, Ismail from her first marriage, who lived with them.<ref name=r1/><ref name=cineplot/>

	There is an incident about Sohrab Modi's visit to Kolkata. Here he met with the Holy Mother [[Sarada Devi]]. Sohrab went to her for diksha but was denied permission. He reportedly asked to holy mother, "Maiji kuchh kijiye jisse khuda pehchana jaye". The incident of their meeting was not less than surprising. During her last days, none was permitted to come near the Holy Mother. But the day Sohrab had come for diksha, Maa Sarada could feel that someone has came for diksha from her saintly powers without anyone telling about him to the holy mother. She asked to send Sohrab to her and gave her many lessons which would be later helpful in his life.		There is an incident about Sohrab Modi's visit to Kolkata. Here he met with the Holy Mother [[Sarada Devi]]. Sohrab went to her for diksha but was denied permission. He reportedly asked to holy mother, "Maiji kuchh kijiye jisse khuda pehchana jaye". The incident of their meeting was not less than surprising. During her last days, none was permitted to come near the Holy Mother. But the day Sohrab had come for diksha, Maa Sarada could feel that someone has came for diksha from her saintly powers without anyone telling about him to the holy mother. She asked to send Sohrab to her and gave her many lessons which would be later helpful in his life.
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	Modi however bounced back with [[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]] (1954). The film, based on the life of the great Indian poet who lived during the reign of [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]], the last of the Mughal Emperors, won the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature Film of 1954. The film beautifully captured the mood of the period, its hedonistic pursuits and the fading magnificence of the court of the last Mughal, where poets like [[Zauq]], [[Momin Khan Momin\|Momin]], Tishna, Shefta and [[Ghalib]] assembled to recite their verse. ''Mirza Ghalib'' also saw [[Suraiya]]'s finest dramatic performance as she embodied the role of the married Ghalib's lover, a courtesan. ''Ghalib'' also saw some of her finest singing – "Aah ko Chaihiye Ek Umar," "Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil," "Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai," "Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet,". Her singing is to date regarded as the definitive portrayal of ''Ghalib''. In fact India's then Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] paid her the ultimate compliment by telling her she had brought [[Mirza Ghalib]] to life. ("Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya").<ref name=upperstall/>		Modi however bounced back with [[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]] (1954). The film, based on the life of the great Indian poet who lived during the reign of [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]], the last of the Mughal Emperors, won the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature Film of 1954. The film beautifully captured the mood of the period, its hedonistic pursuits and the fading magnificence of the court of the last Mughal, where poets like [[Zauq]], [[Momin Khan Momin\|Momin]], Tishna, Shefta and [[Ghalib]] assembled to recite their verse. ''Mirza Ghalib'' also saw [[Suraiya]]'s finest dramatic performance as she embodied the role of the married Ghalib's lover, a courtesan. ''Ghalib'' also saw some of her finest singing – "Aah ko Chaihiye Ek Umar," "Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil," "Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai," "Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet,". Her singing is to date regarded as the definitive portrayal of ''Ghalib''. In fact India's then Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] paid her the ultimate compliment by telling her she had brought [[Mirza Ghalib]] to life. ("Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya").<ref name=upperstall/>

	Though ~~''Kundan'' (1955),~~ ''Nausherwan-e-Adil'' and ''~~Jailor~~'' (~~1958~~) had their moments~~, particularly the latter in which Modi gave a chilling portrayal of a rational man turned into a tyrant,~~ Modi's later films did not reach the heights of his earlier work.<ref name=upperstall/>		Though ''Nausherwan-e-Adil'' and ''Samay Bada Balwan'' (1969) had their moments it is said that Modi's later films did not reach the heights of his earlier work.<ref name=upperstall/> In Jailor (1958) Modi gave a chilling portrayal of a rational man turned into a tyrant. His last few hits included Kundan(1955) , Raj Hath (1956) and Meri Biwi Mere Bachche (1960).

	==Death and later life==		==Death and later life==
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	==Trivia==		==Trivia==
	[[File:Sohrab Modi 2013 stamp of India.jpg\|thumb~~\|upright=1.1~~\|Sohrab Modi on a 2013 stamp of India]]		[[File:Sohrab Modi 2013 stamp of India.jpg\|thumb\|Sohrab Modi on a 2013 stamp of India\|300x300px]]
	* In 1960 he was a member of the jury at the [[10th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale 1960">{{cite web \|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/search.html?query=Sohrab+Modi \|title=10th Berlin International Film Festival: Juries \|~~accessdate~~=27 November 2019 \|work=berlinale.de}}</ref>		* In 1960 he was a member of the jury at the [[10th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale 1960">{{cite web \|url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/search.html?query=Sohrab+Modi \|title=10th Berlin International Film Festival: Juries \|access-date=27 November 2019 \|work=berlinale.de}}</ref>
	* In 2005, the Phalke medallion and some ceramic pieces from Modi's [[Cuffe Parade]] home were sold to Mumbai's most resourceful and notorious antiques market, [[Chor Bazaar]].		* In 2005, the Phalke medallion and some ceramic pieces from Modi's [[Cuffe Parade]] home were sold to Mumbai's most resourceful and notorious antiques market, [[Chor Bazaar]].

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	* ''[[Daulat (1949 film)\|Daulat]]'' (1949)		* ''[[Daulat (1949 film)\|Daulat]]'' (1949)
	* ''[[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)\|Sheesh Mahal]]'' (1950)<ref name=upperstall/>		* ''[[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)\|Sheesh Mahal]]'' (1950)<ref name=upperstall/>
	* ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)\|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' (1953)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=~~cineplot~~/><ref name=r1/>		* ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)\|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' (1953)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=r1/><ref name=cineplot/>
	* ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]]'' (1954)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>		* ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]]'' (1954)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>
	* ''[[Kundan (film)\|Kundan]]'' (1955)		* ''[[Kundan (film)\|Kundan]]'' (1955)

WikiDwarf: clean up

2021-02-24T13:15:42Z

clean up

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:45, 24 February 2021
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	Sohrab Modi was born into a [[Parsis\|Parsi]] family on 2 November 1897. His father was an [[Indian civil servant]]. He spent his childhood in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh\|Rampur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] where he developed a liking for [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] languages.<ref name=cineplot/>		Sohrab Modi was born into a [[Parsis\|Parsi]] family on 2 November 1897. His father was an [[Indian civil servant]]. He spent his childhood in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh\|Rampur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] where he developed a liking for [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] languages.<ref name=cineplot/>

	Sohrab Modi was married to [[Mehtab (actress)\|Mehtab]] Modi,<ref name=upperstall/> an actress born into an aristocratic [[Gujarati Muslim\|Muslim]] family from [[Gujarat]], who began her career in his movie Parakh (1944). They married on her birthday on 28 April 1946. They had a son, Mehelli, from this marriage<ref name=r1>[http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ Yesteryear actress Mehtab remembers her husband Sohrab Modi] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223030130/http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ \|date=23 December 2014 }} Cineplot.com website (14 September 2013), Retrieved 27 November 2019</ref> who settled in the UK in 1967, where he would later found the British arthouse DVD label Second Run.<ref>[https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity London’s Second Run DVD is rescuing rare arthouse films from obscurity] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190159/https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity \|date=1 August 2018 }}. Scroll.in (29 March 2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-09.</ref> Mehtab had a son, Ismail from her first marriage, who lived with them.<ref name=r1/><ref name=~~cineplot~~/>		Sohrab Modi was married to [[Mehtab (actress)\|Mehtab]] Modi,<ref name=upperstall/> an actress born into an aristocratic [[Gujarati Muslim\|Muslim]] family from [[Gujarat]], who began her career in his movie Parakh (1944). They married on her birthday on 28 April 1946. They had a son, Mehelli, from this marriage<ref name=r1>[http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ Yesteryear actress Mehtab remembers her husband Sohrab Modi] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223030130/http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ \|date=23 December 2014 }} Cineplot.com website (14 September 2013), Retrieved 27 November 2019</ref> who settled in the UK in 1967, where he would later found the British arthouse DVD label Second Run.<ref>[https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity London’s Second Run DVD is rescuing rare arthouse films from obscurity] {{Webarchive\|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190159/https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity \|date=1 August 2018 }}. Scroll.in (29 March 2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-09.</ref> Mehtab had a son, Ismail from her first marriage, who lived with them.<ref name=cineplot/><ref name=r1/>

	There is an incident about Sohrab Modi's visit to Kolkata. Here he met with the Holy Mother [[Sarada Devi]]. Sohrab went to her for diksha but was denied permission. He reportedly asked to holy mother, "Maiji kuchh kijiye jisse khuda pehchana jaye". The incident of their meeting was not less than surprising. During her last days, none was permitted to come near the Holy Mother. But the day Sohrab had come for diksha, Maa Sarada could feel that someone has came for diksha from her saintly powers without anyone telling about him to the holy mother. She asked to send Sohrab to her and gave her many lessons which would be later helpful in his life.		There is an incident about Sohrab Modi's visit to Kolkata. Here he met with the Holy Mother [[Sarada Devi]]. Sohrab went to her for diksha but was denied permission. He reportedly asked to holy mother, "Maiji kuchh kijiye jisse khuda pehchana jaye". The incident of their meeting was not less than surprising. During her last days, none was permitted to come near the Holy Mother. But the day Sohrab had come for diksha, Maa Sarada could feel that someone has came for diksha from her saintly powers without anyone telling about him to the holy mother. She asked to send Sohrab to her and gave her many lessons which would be later helpful in his life.
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	* ''[[Daulat (1949 film)\|Daulat]]'' (1949)		* ''[[Daulat (1949 film)\|Daulat]]'' (1949)
	* ''[[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)\|Sheesh Mahal]]'' (1950)<ref name=upperstall/>		* ''[[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)\|Sheesh Mahal]]'' (1950)<ref name=upperstall/>
	* ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)\|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' (1953)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=r1/><ref name=~~cineplot~~/>		* ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)\|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' (1953)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/><ref name=r1/>
	* ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]]'' (1954)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>		* ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)\|Mirza Ghalib]]'' (1954)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>
	* ''[[Kundan (film)\|Kundan]]'' (1955)		* ''[[Kundan (film)\|Kundan]]'' (1955)

WikiDwarf: Created page with "{{Use Indian English|date=December 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Sohrab Merwanji Mo..."

2020-12-29T04:34:19Z

Created page with "{{Use Indian English|date=December 2020}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name = Sohrab Merwanji Mo..."

New page

{{Use Indian English|date=December 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Sohrab Merwanji Modi
| honorific_suffix =
| native_name =
| native_name_lang =
| image = Sohrab Modi.jpg
| image_size =
| alt = Sohrab Modi
| caption = Modi in 1931
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|df=yes|1897|11|02}}
| birth_place =
| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1984|01|28|1897|11|02}}
| death_place =
| resting_place_coordinates = 
| monuments =
| residence =
| nationality = [[India]]n
| other_names =
| citizenship =
| education =
| alma_mater =
| occupation =
| years_active =
| employer =
| organization = Minerva Movietone
| agent =
| known_for =
| notable_works = [[Pukar (1939 film)|Pukar]], [[Sikandar (1941 film)|Sikandar]], Prithvi Vallabh, [[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)|Jhansi Ki Rani]], [[Mirza Ghalib (film)|Mirza Ghalib]], [[Jailor (1938 film)|Jailor]], [[Nausherwan-E-Adil]] (1957 film)
| style =
| influences =
| influenced =
| home_town =
| spouse = [[Mehtab (actress)|Mehtab Modi]]
| partner =
| children =
| parents =
| relatives =
| awards = [[Dadasaheb Phalke Award]] in 1980
}}

'''Sohrab Merwanji Modi''' (2 November 1897 – 28 January 1984) was an [[India]]n stage and film actor, director and producer.<ref name="GulazāraNihalani2003">{{cite book|author1=Gulazāra|author2=Govind Nihalani|author3=Saibal Chatterjee|title=Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT614|year=2003|publisher=Popular Prakashan|isbn=978-81-7991-066-5|pages=614–|access-date=16 October 2016|archive-date=11 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011211242/https://books.google.com/books?id=8y8vN9A14nkC&pg=PT614|url-status=live}}</ref> His films include ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935), a version of Shakespeare's ''[[Hamlet]]'', ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)|Sikandar]]'', ''Pukar'', ''[[Prithvi Vallabh]]'', ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)|Jhansi ki Rani]]'', ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)|Mirza Ghalib]]'', Jailor and ''[[Nausherwan-E-Adil]]'' (1957). His films always carried a message of strong commitment to social and national issues.<ref name=upperstall>{{cite web|url=https://upperstall.com/profile/sohrab-modi/|title=Sohrab Modi profile|website=Upperstall.com website|author=Karan Bali|accessdate=27 November 2019|archive-date=27 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127191427/https://upperstall.com/profile/sohrab-modi/|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Early life==
[[File:Sikandar, 1941, Sohrab Modi.jpg|right|thumb|Sohrab Modi in film ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)|Sikandar]]'' (1941).]]
Sohrab Merwanji Modi was born 2 November 1897 in Bombay.<ref name=upperstall/> After finishing school, he became travelling exhibitor in Gwalior with his brother Keki Modi. At 16 he used project films in Gwalior's Town Hall and at 26 set up his Arya Subhodh Theatrical Company.<ref>{{cite book|last=[[Amrit Gangar|Gangar]]|first=[[Amrit Gangar|Amrit]]|title=The Legends of Indian Cinema – Sohrab Modi|year=2008|publisher=Wisdom Tree|location=New Delhi|isbn=978-81-8328-108-9|page=6}}</ref>

Sohrab began as a [[Parsi theatre]] actor with some experience in silent films. He earned quite a reputation as a Shakespearean actor, travelling throughout India with his brother's theatrical company and enjoying the tremendous sense of fulfillment every time the curtain came down and the audience applauded. However, with the advent of the sound film in 1931, theatre was declining. To rescue this dying art, Modi set up the Stage Film Company in 1935. His first two films were filmed versions of plays. ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935) was an adaptation of ''Hamlet'' and marked Naseem Bano's acting debut. The second, ''[[Said-e-Havas]]'' (1936) was based on Shakespeare's ''[[The Life and Death of King John|King John]]''. Both films failed at the box office.<ref name=upperstall/>

==Personal life==
Sohrab Modi was born into a [[Parsis|Parsi]] family on 2 November 1897. His father was an [[Indian civil servant]]. He spent his childhood in [[Rampur, Uttar Pradesh|Rampur]], [[Uttar Pradesh]] where he developed a liking for [[Hindi]] and [[Urdu]] languages.<ref name=cineplot/>

Sohrab Modi was married to [[Mehtab (actress)|Mehtab]] Modi,<ref name=upperstall/> an actress born into an aristocratic [[Gujarati Muslim|Muslim]] family from [[Gujarat]], who began her career in his movie Parakh (1944). They married on her birthday on 28 April 1946. They had a son, Mehelli, from this marriage<ref name=r1>[http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ Yesteryear actress Mehtab remembers her husband Sohrab Modi] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223030130/http://cineplot.com/yesteryear-actress-mehtab-remembers-her-husband-sohrab-modi/ |date=23 December 2014 }} Cineplot.com website (14 September 2013), Retrieved 27 November 2019</ref> who settled in the UK in 1967, where he would later found the British arthouse DVD label Second Run.<ref>[https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity London’s Second Run DVD is rescuing rare arthouse films from obscurity] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190159/https://scroll.in/reel/873687/how-an-indian-film-distributor-in-london-is-helping-rescue-forgotten-classics-from-obscurity |date=1 August 2018 }}. Scroll.in (29 March 2018). Retrieved on 2018-11-09.</ref> Mehtab had a son, Ismail from her first marriage, who lived with them.<ref name=r1/><ref name=cineplot/>

There is an incident about Sohrab Modi's visit to Kolkata. Here he met with the Holy Mother [[Sarada Devi]]. Sohrab went to her for diksha but was denied permission. He reportedly asked to holy mother, "Maiji kuchh kijiye jisse khuda pehchana jaye". The incident of their meeting was not less than surprising. During her last days, none was permitted to come near the Holy Mother. But the day Sohrab had come for diksha, Maa Sarada could feel that someone has came for diksha from her saintly powers without anyone telling about him to the holy mother. She asked to send Sohrab to her and gave her many lessons which would be later helpful in his life.

==Biography==
He launched Minerva Movietone in 1936.<ref name=cineplot/> His early films at Minerva dealt with contemporary social issues such as alcoholism in ''Meetha Zaher'' (1938) and the right of Hindu women to divorce in ''Talaq'' (1938). Though the films did well, what attracted Modi was the historic genre. Minerva Movietone became famous for its trilogy of historical spectaculars that were to follow – ''Pukar'' (1939), ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)|Sikandar]]'' (1941) and ''[[Prithvi Vallabh]]'' (1943), wherein Modi made the most of his gift for grandiloquence to evoke historical grandeur.

''Pukar'' (1939) was set in the court of the Mughal Emperor [[Jehangir]] and is based on an incident, perhaps fictional, that highlights Jehangir's fair sense of justice. Many of the key scenes were filmed on location, at the magnificent courts and palaces from the Mughal era, which gave the film an authenticity that studio built sets could never achieve. The charisma of its stars, [[Chandra Mohan (1905–1949)|Chandra Mohan]] and Naseem Bano, and [[Kamaal Amrohi]]'s oration, with its literary flourish and innate grace, ensured the film's popularity.<ref name=cineplot/>

Arguably Modi's greatest film was ''Sikander'' (1941), which immortalized [[Prithviraj Kapoor]] playing the title role. This epic film was set in 326 BC when [[Alexander the Great]], having conquered Persia and the Kabul Valley, descends on the Indian border at Jhelum and encounters Porus (Modi), who stops the advance with his troops. ''Sikander'''s lavish mounting, huge sets, and production values equalled Hollywood's best, particularly in its rousing and spectacular battle scenes. The movie was rated by a British writer as "well up to the standard of that old masterpiece ''[[The Birth of a Nation]]''." Its dramatic, declamatory dialogue gave both Prithviraj Kapoor and Sohrab Modi free rein to their histrionic proclivities.

The release of the film coincided with World War II at its peak and in India the political atmosphere was tense following Gandhiji's call to [[Civil Disobedience]]. ''Sikander'' further aroused patriotic feelings and national sentiment. Thus, though ''Sikander'' was approved by the Bombay censor board, it was later banned from some of the theatres serving army cantonments. However, its appeal to nationalism was so great and direct, it remained popular for years. It was revived in Delhi in 1961 during the Indian March into Goa.

''Prithvi Vallabh'' was based on [[K.M. Munshi]]'s novel of the same name. The film's major highlights were the confrontations between Modi and [[Durga Khote]], the haughty queen ''Mrinalvati'', who tries to humiliate him publicly but then falls in love with him.<ref name=cineplot/>

Although Modi went beyond Parsee theatre with such themes as illicit passion (''[[Jailor (1938 film)|Jailor]]'' (1938), remade in 1958) and incest (''Bharosa'' (1940)), his formal approach still remained tied to the theatre. He re-created the look and sound of Parsee theatre by using frontal compositions and staging the narrative in spatial layers with copious use of Urdu dialogue.

In 1946, after his relationship with Naseem had run its course (though she continued to work with him in ''Sheesh Mahal'' (1950) and ''Nausherwan-e-Adil'' (1957)), he married Mehtab, an actress 20 years his junior whom he had directed in ''Parakh'' (1944). Sohrab Modi was 48 years old at that time.<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>

In 1950, when Sohrab Modi's ''Sheesh Mahal'' was being screened at Minerva Theatre in Bombay, the actor was present at the hall. Mr. Modi noticed a man sitting in the front row with closed eyes. Upset with such a reaction, he asked an attendant to let the viewer out and to return his money. The employee came back to say that the person was blind but had come just to hear Sohrab Modi's lines.

For [[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)|Jhansi Ki Rani]], India's first technicolour film, Modi had technicians flown in from Hollywood. Mehtab starred as the young queen of [[Jhansi]] who took up arms against the British during the Mutiny of 1857 with Modi playing the role of the Rajguru, her chief advisor. The film was notable for its authenticity in creating the right period and delineating historical events, its spectacular battle scenes and Mehtab's stirring performance though she was far too old for the role. She achieves stirring dignity in the role as she vows to protect Jhansi from all enemies both within and outside. The ball sequence in Jhansi's palace was superbly shot and Modi's characters held great emotional appeal. The film failed to connect with the audience and was a costly misfire for Modi as a box office crash.<ref name=upperstall/>

Modi however bounced back with [[Mirza Ghalib (film)|Mirza Ghalib]] (1954). The film, based on the life of the great Indian poet who lived during the reign of [[Bahadur Shah Zafar]], the last of the Mughal Emperors, won the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature Film of 1954. The film beautifully captured the mood of the period, its hedonistic pursuits and the fading magnificence of the court of the last Mughal, where poets like [[Zauq]], [[Momin Khan Momin|Momin]], Tishna, Shefta and [[Ghalib]] assembled to recite their verse. ''Mirza Ghalib'' also saw [[Suraiya]]'s finest dramatic performance as she embodied the role of the married Ghalib's lover, a courtesan. ''Ghalib'' also saw some of her finest singing – "Aah ko Chaihiye Ek Umar," "Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil," "Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai," "Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet,". Her singing is to date regarded as the definitive portrayal of ''Ghalib''. In fact India's then Prime Minister [[Jawaharlal Nehru]] paid her the ultimate compliment by telling her she had brought [[Mirza Ghalib]] to life. ("Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya").<ref name=upperstall/>

Though ''Kundan'' (1955), ''Nausherwan-e-Adil'' and ''Jailor'' (1958) had their moments, particularly the latter in which Modi gave a chilling portrayal of a rational man turned into a tyrant, Modi's later films did not reach the heights of his earlier work.<ref name=upperstall/>

==Death and later life==
Even after he stopped making films, Sohrab Modi never actually gave up the idea of making one. Even as late as 1982 (when he was 85 years old) and was hardly able to move around, he had the muhurat of 'Guru-dakshina'. As per his wife, people took advantage of his weakness for making a film and they lost a lot of money by way of advance payments etc., since two days after the 'muhurat', Sohrab Modi fell sick and then never recovered. His wife also said in a 1986 interview that Sohrab Modi was obsessed with filmmaking and, in fact, had no other interests.<ref name=r1/>

Sohrab Modi received the [[Dadasaheb Phalke Award]] in 1980. He was the tenth recipient of the award. He suffered from cancer of the bone marrow and succumbed to the disease on 28 January 1984 at the age of 86.<ref name=upperstall/>

==Trivia==
[[File:Sohrab Modi 2013 stamp of India.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|Sohrab Modi on a 2013 stamp of India]]
* In 1960 he was a member of the jury at the [[10th Berlin International Film Festival]].<ref name="Berlinale 1960">{{cite web |url=https://www.berlinale.de/en/search.html?query=Sohrab+Modi |title=10th Berlin International Film Festival: Juries |accessdate=27 November 2019 |work=berlinale.de}}</ref>
* In 2005, the Phalke medallion and some ceramic pieces from Modi's [[Cuffe Parade]] home were sold to Mumbai's most resourceful and notorious antiques market, [[Chor Bazaar]].

== Filmography ==

===As director===
* ''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' (1935)
* ''[[Said-e-Havas]]'' (1936)
* ''[[Atma Tarang]]'' (1937)
* ''[[Khan Bahadur (film)|Khan Bahadur]]'' (1937)
* ''[[Jailor (1938 film)|Jailor]]'' (1938)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>
* ''[[Meetha Zahar]]'' (1938)<ref name=upperstall/>
* ''[[Pukar (1939 film)|Pukar]]'' (1939)<ref name=upperstall/>
* ''[[Bharosa (1940 film)|Bharosa]]'' (1940)
* ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)|Sikandar]]'' (1941)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot>[http://cineplot.com/sohrab-modi-1897-1984/ Sohrab Modi (1897 - 1984) - profile on Cineplot.com website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925230614/http://cineplot.com/sohrab-modi-1897-1984/ |date=25 September 2017 }} Published 13 June 2010, Retrieved 27 November 2019</ref>
* ''[[Phir Milenge (1942 film)|Phir Milenge]]'' (1942)
* ''[[Prithvi Vallabh]]'' (1943)<ref name=upperstall/>
* ''[[Parakh (1944 film)|Parakh]]'' (1944)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=r1/>
* ''[[Ek Din Ka Sultan]]'' (1945)
* ''[[Manjhdhar (1947 film)|Manjhdhar]]'' (1947)
* ''[[Narasinha Avatar]]'' (1949)
* ''[[Daulat (1949 film)|Daulat]]'' (1949)
* ''[[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)|Sheesh Mahal]]'' (1950)<ref name=upperstall/>
* ''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' (1953)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=r1/><ref name=cineplot/>
* ''[[Mirza Ghalib (film)|Mirza Ghalib]]'' (1954)<ref name=upperstall/><ref name=cineplot/>
* ''[[Kundan (film)|Kundan]]'' (1955)
* ''[[Raj Hath]]'' (1956)
* ''[[Nausherwan-E-Adil]]'' (1957)<ref name=upperstall/>
* ''[[Jailor (1958 film)|Jailor]]'' (1958)
* ''[[Mera Ghar Mere Bachche]]'' (1960)
* ''[[Samay Bada Balwan]]'' (1969)

===As actor===
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Film !! Year !! Role
|-
||''[[Khoon Ka Khoon]]'' ||1935 || Hamlet
|-
||''[[Said-e-Havas]]'' ||1936 ||Kazal Beg (Hubert)
|-
||''[[Jailor (1938 film)|Jailor]]'' ||1938 || Jailor
|-
||''[[Meetha Zahar]]'' ||1938 ||
|-
|| ''[[Pukar (1939 film)|Pukar]]''<ref name=r1/> ||1939|| Sardar Sangram Singh
|-
|| ''[[Sikandar (1941 film)|Sikandar]]''<ref name=cineplot/>||1941 || King Porus
|-
|| ''[[Prithvi Vallabh]]''<ref name=cineplot/> ||1943 || Munja
|-
|| ''[[Sheesh Mahal (1950 film)|Sheesh Mahal]]'' ||1950 || Thakur Jaspal Singh
|-
||''[[Jhansi Ki Rani (1953 film)|Jhansi Ki Rani]]'' ||1952 || Raj Guru
|-
|| ''[[Kundan]]'' ||1955 || Kundan
|-
|| ''[[Raj Hath]]'' ||1956 || Raja Babu
|-
|| ''[[Nausherwan-E-Adil]]'' alias ''Farz Aur Mohabbat'' ||1957|| Sultan-e-Iran Nausherwan-e-Adil
|-
|| ''[[Yahudi]]''<ref name=upperstall/> ||1958 || Ezra, the Jew
|-
|| ''[[Jailor (1958 film)|Jailor]]'' ||1958 || Dilip
|-
|| ''Pehli Raat'' ||1959||
|-
|| ''Woh Koi Aur Hoga'' ||1967||
|-
|| ''Noor Jahan'' ||1967|| Kazi
|-
||''[[Jwala (1971 film)|Jwala]]''|| 1971||
|-
||''[[Ek Nari Ek Brahmachari]]'' ||1971 || Raisaheb Surajbhan Chaudhary
|-
||''[[Raziya Sultan (film)|Razia Sultan]]'' ||1983 || Vazir-e-Azam
|}

==References==
{{Reflist
}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.upperstall.com/people/smodi.html Sohrab Modi]
*[http://cineplot.com/sohrab-modi-1897-1984/ Sohrab Modi Profile]
* {{IMDb name|id=0595271|name=Sohrab Modi}}
* https://www.flickr.com/photos/29284105@N04/6520694645/in/photostream

{{Dadasaheb Phalke Award}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Modi, Sohrab}}
[[Category:1897 births]]
[[Category:1984 deaths]]
[[Category:Indian male film actors]]
[[Category:Male actors in Hindi cinema]]
[[Category:Indian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Indian male silent film actors]]
[[Category:Film directors from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Hindi-language film directors]]
[[Category:Film producers from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Parsi people from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Gujarati people]]
[[Category:Dadasaheb Phalke Award recipients]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian male actors]]
[[Category:Deaths from bone cancer]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in India]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian film directors]]
[[Category:Male actors from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Hindi film producers]]
[[Category:Producers who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award]]
[[Category:Directors who won the Best Feature Film National Film Award]]