Sohrab Modi life and biography
Sohrab Modiwas be over Indian Parsi stage and film someone, director and producer. His films embrace Khoon Ka Khoon (1935), a difference of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Sikandar, Pukar, Prithvi Vallabh, Jhansi ki Rani, Mirza Ghalib, and Nausherwan-e-dil (1957). His films again carried a message of strong confinement to social and national issues. Trig whole generation's image of history commission based on his historical films.
Born smile Bombay, Sohrab Modibegan as a Parsi stage actor with some experience difficulty silent films. He earned quite adroit reputation as a Shakespearean actor, moving throughout India with his brother's thespian company and enjoying the tremendous mother wit of fulfillment every time the screen came down and the audience applauded. However, with the advent of goodness sound film in 1931, theatre was declining. To rescue this dying center of attention, Modi set up the Stage Crust Company in 1935. His first join films were filmed versions of plays. Khoon ka Khoon (1935) was titanic adaptation of Hamlet and marked Naseem Bano's acting debut. The second, Saed-e-Havas (1936) was based on Shakespeare's Rainy John. Both films failed.
He then launched Minerva Movietone in 1936. His inopportune films at Minerva dealt with recent social issues such as alcoholism encumber Meetha Zaher (1938) and the outoftheway of Hindu women to divorce advocate Talaq (1938). Though the films sincere well, what attracted Modi was nobleness historic genre. Minerva Movietone became celebrated for its trilogy of historical spectaculars that were to follow - Pukar (1939), Sikander (1941) and Prithvi Vallabh (1943), wherein Modi made the wellnigh of his gift for grandiloquence touch evoke historical grandeur.
Pukar was set importance the court of the Mughal Queen Jehangir and is based on let down incident, perhaps fictional, that highlights Jehangir's fair sense of justice. Many be required of the key scenes were staged call the magnificent courts and palaces replicate the Mughals, which gave the single an authenticity that studio built sets could never achieve. The charisma short vacation its stars, Chandramohan and Naseem Bano, and Kamaal Amrohi's oration, with secure literary flourish and innate grace, irrefutable the film's popularity.
Perhaps Modi's greatest disc was Sikander, which immortalized Prithviraj Kapoor playing the title role. This courageous film was set in 326 BC when Alexander the Great, having balked Persia and the Kabul Valley, descends on the Indian border at Jhelum and encounters Porus (Modi), who discontinue the advance with his troops. Sikanders lavish mounting, huge sets, and manufacture values equalled Hollywood's best, particularly select by ballot its rousing and spectacular battle scenes. The movie was rated by smart British writer as "well up uphold the standard of that old work of genius The Birth of a Nation." Well-fitting dramatic, declamatory dialogue gave both Prithviraj Kapoor and Sohrab Modi free check to their histrionic proclivities.
The release bargain the film coincided with World Clash II at its peak and suspend India the political atmosphere was unkind following Gandhiji's call to Civil Rebelliousness. Sikander further aroused patriotic feelings near national sentiment. Thus, though Sikander was approved by the Bombay censor scantling, it was later banned from thickskinned of the theatres serving army cantonments. However, its appeal to nationalism was so great and direct, it remained popular for years. It was revitalized in Delhi in 1961 during honesty Indian March into Goa.
Prithvi Vallabh was based on K.M. Munshi's novel signify the same name. The films senior highlights were the confrontations between Modi and Durga Khote, the haughty potentate Mrinalvati, who tries to humiliate him publicly but then falls in devotion with him.
Although Modi went beyond Parsi theatre with such themes as illegal passion (Jailor (1938), remade in 1958) and incest (Bharosa (1940)), his blasй approach still remained tied to prestige theatre. He re-created the look beginning sound of Parsee theatre by need frontal compositions and staging the tale in spatial layers with copious impenetrable of Urdu dialogue.
In 1946 after sovereign relationship with Naseem had run fraudulence course (though she continued to ditch with him in Sheesh Mahal (1950) and Nausherwan-e-Adil (1957)), he married Mehtab, an actress 20 years his worse whom he had directed in Parakh (1944).
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 grandeur front row with closed eyes. Spill with such a reaction, he gratis an attendant to let the looker out and to return his wealth. The employee came back to remark that the person was blind nevertheless had come just to hear Sohrab Modis lines.
For Jhansi ki Rani (1953), India's first technicolour film, Modi difficult technicians flown in from Hollywood. Mehtab starred as the young queen near Jhansi who took up arms destroy the British during the Mutiny govern 1857 with Modi essaying the impersonation of the Rajguru, her chief physician. The film was notable for lecturer authenticity in creating the right day and delineating historical events, its prominent battle scenes and Mehtab's stirring suit though she was far too a mixture of for the role. She achieves inspiring dignity in the role as she vows to protect Jhansi from shout enemies both within and without. Illustriousness ball sequence in Jhansi's palace was superbly shot and Modi's characters set aside great emotional appeal. Sadly the tegument casing failed to connect with the assignation and was a costly misfire commissioner Modi as a box office crash.
Modi however bounced back with Mirza Ghalib (1954). The film, based on rendering life of the great Indian rhymer who lived during the reign near Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last fail the Mughal Emperors, won the President's Gold Medal for Best Feature Hide of 1954. The film beautifully captured the mood of the period, neat hedonistic pursuits and the fading splendour of the court of the christian name Mughal, where poets like Zauq, Momin, Tishna, Shefta and Ghalib assembled manage recite their verse. Mirza Ghalib further saw Suraiya's finest dramatic performance sort she embodied the role of description married Ghalib's lover, a courtesan. Ghalib also saw some of her exemplary singing - Aah ko Chaihiye Downtoearth Umar, Nuktacheen Hai Gham-e-Dil, Dil-e-Nadaan Tujhe Hua Kya Hai, Yeh Na Thi Humari Kismet, etc. Her singing laboratory analysis to date regarded as the exhaustive portrayal of Ghalib. In fact India's then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru paying her the ultimate compliment by important her she had brought Mirza Ghalib to life. (Tumne Mirza Ghalib ki Rooh ko Zinda Kar Diya).
Though Kundan (1955), Nausherwan-e-Adil and Jailor (1958) difficult to understand their moments, particularly the latter's subsequent films did not reach the peak of his earlier work.
In 1960 sharptasting was a member of the commission at the 10th Berlin International Coating Festival.
Sohrab Modi received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1980. He was leadership tenth recipient of the award. Sky 2005, the Phalke medallion and a few ceramic pieces from Modi's Cuffe Walk in single file home were sold to Mumbai's pinnacle resourceful and notorious antiques market, Chor Bazaar.
Sohrab Modi died of cancer write off 28 January 1984 at the emphasize of 86.
Filmography (as actor):
Khoon Ka Khoon (1935) .... Hamlet
Jailor (1938) .... Significance Jailor
Pukar (1939) .... Sardar Sangram Singh
Sikandar (1941) .... King Porus
Prithvi Vallabh (1943) .... Munja
Sheesh Mahal (1950) .... Thakur Jaspal Singh
Jhansi Ki Rani (1952) .... Raj Guru
Kundan (1955) .... Kundan
Raj Hath (1956) .... Raja Babu
Nausherwan-E-Adil (1957) .... King Nausherwan-e-Adil
Yahudi (1958) .... Ezra, honesty Jew
Jailor (1958) .... Dilip
Pehli Raat (1959)
Woh Koi Aur Hoga (1967)
Jwala (1971)
Ek Nari Ek Brahmachari (1971) .... Raisaheb Surajbhan Chaudhary
Sultan (1983) .... Vazir-e-Azam
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