Sohrab Modi

image 110

Technical Data

Stamp Set 100 Years of Indian Cinema
Date of Issue May 3, 2013
Denomination Rs. 5
Quantity 810,000
Perforation 13
Printer Security Printing Press, Hyderabad
Printing Process Offset Lithography
Watermark No Watermark
Colors Multicolor
Credit (Designed By) Shri Kamleshwar Singh
Catalog Codes

Michel IN 2728

WADP Numbering System - WNS IN031.2013

Themes


2.11.1897 – 28.1.1984

Sohrab Modi was a pioneering Indian Parsi stage and film actor, director, and producer, widely regarded as one of the earliest champions of historical and dramatic cinema in India. Known for his booming voice, theatrical style, and grand storytelling, Modi made an unparalleled contribution to early Bollywood.

He established the Stage Film Company in 1935, and later founded the iconic Minerva Movietone Company in 1936, which went on to create some of Indian cinema’s greatest historical masterpieces. Minerva Movietone became famous for its celebrated trilogy —

  • Pukar (1939)
  • Sikandar (1941)
  • Prithvi Vallabh (1943)

His other notable films include Jailor (1938), Bharosa (1940), Parakh (1944) and the pioneering technicolor film Jhansi-ki-Rani (1953).

His acclaimed film Mirza Ghalib (1954) received the President’s Gold Medal for Best Feature Film in 1954. He also served as a jury member at the Berlin International Film Festival in 1960, reflecting his global reputation.

In recognition of his immense contribution to Indian cinema, Sohrab Modi was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1980, the highest award in Indian film.

Commemoration

A commemorative postage stamp was issued on Sohrab Modi, celebrating him as a monumental figure of Indian cinema and one of its earliest master dramatists, as part of the ‘100 Years of Indian Cinema’ series.

First Day Cover

Sohrab Modi