Ardeshir Irani

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Lore & Background

Ardeshir Irani was born into a Parsi Zoroastrian family on 5 December 1886 in Pune, Bombay Presidency. In 1905, Irani became the Indian representative of Universal Studios and he ran Alexander Cinema in Bombay with Abdulally Esoofally for over forty years. It was at Alexander Cinema that Ardeshir Irani learned the rules of the art of filmmaking and became fascinated by the medium. In 1917, Irani entered the field of film production and produced his first silent feature film, Nala Damayanti, which was released in 1920. In 1922, Irani joined Bhogilal Dave, the former manager of Dadasaheb Phalke's Hindustan Films, and established Star Films. Their first silent feature film, Veer Abhimanyu was released in 1922 and starred Fatma Begum in the female lead. Star Films produced seventeen films before Irani and Dave dissolved the partnership. In 1924, Irani founded Majestic Film Company, joined by B.P. Mishra and Naval Gandhi. Fifteen films later, Majestic Films closed, giving way to Royal Art Studios. In 1925, Irani founded Imperial Films, where he made sixty-two films. By the age of forty, Irani was an established filmmaker of Indian cinema. Ardeshir Irani became the father of talkie films with the release of his sound feature film, Alam Ara on 14 March 1931. He is also credited with making the first Indian English feature film, Noor Jahan (1934). He completed his hat-trick of earning fame when he made the first colour feature film of India, Kisan Kanya (1937). In 1933, Irani produced and directed the first Persian talkie, Dokhtar-e-Lor. Irani's Imperial Films introduced a number of new actors to Indian Cinema, including Prithviraj Kapoor and Mehboob Khan. He produced Kalidas in Telugu and Tamil, as a bilingual talkie, on the sets of Alam Ara. Also, Irani visited London, England for fifteen days to study sound recording and recorded the sounds of Alam Ara on the basis of this knowledge. He shot the entire sequence in the studio under heavy lights, beginning the trend of shooting under artificial light.

Reader's Guide

Ardeshir Irani's significance lies in his role as a foundational figure in Indian cinema, bridging the silent and sound eras. As director of Alam Ara (1931), India's first talkie, he revolutionized the industry by introducing synchronized sound, a milestone that transformed filmmaking and audience experience. His production of Kisan Kanya (1937), India's first colour feature, further demonstrated his commitment to technological innovation. Beyond these firsts, Irani expanded the linguistic and cultural reach of Indian cinema by making films in multiple languages, including the first Persian talkie Dokhtar-e-Lor (1933). He also introduced new talent like Prithviraj Kapoor and Mehboob Khan. As first president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (1937–1939), he helped shape the industry's organizational framework. His legacy is that of a versatile entrepreneur and innovator who set technical and narrative standards for Indian cinema.

Did You Know?

• Ardeshir Irani became the Indian representative of Universal Studios in 1905.
• He ran Alexander Cinema in Bombay with Abdulally Esoofally for over forty years.
• Irani visited London for fifteen days to study sound recording before making Alam Ara.
• He began the trend of shooting under artificial light by shooting entire sequences in the studio under heavy lights.
• Irani was the first president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association (IMPPA), from 1937 to 1939.