Reel hero

We fail to realize that there are heroes all around us, sometimes even within us! They may not be famous or popular, but they certainly deserve some gratitude for their deeds, principles and ideas!

One such hero who never became a celebrity, but helped make celebrities, was the late Adi Merwan Irani. He was one of our nation’s first cinematographers.

Born in 1904 in Bombay, Irani was a very talented man. On completing his schooling in Panchgani, he later joined college in Bombay. However due to hard times and poverty, Irani left his education and joined his uncle’s studio as a domestic helper. While working under Uncle ‘Khan Bahadur Ardeshir’ for years, he discovered his passion for cinematography. Never did Irani realize that the humble camera would change his simple life forever!

Irani: passion for cinematography

Seeing his passion for the camera, Khan Bahadur picked him to shoot silent movies. His art of shooting truly amazed all, and Irani finally got his big break when he was asked to shoot India’s first talkie film, Alamara! Over the years, he was given a host of prestigious assignments. In 1931, he shot India’s first color picture Kisan Kanya. Not only this, Irani also shot India’s first foreign language film Doktar-e-lo which was made especially for Iranian viewers. From 1926, he pioneered in taking trick shots like ‘dual role,’ ‘flying scenes’ and more. In fact, Irani was the first individual to shoot the electric train’s first run between Bombay and Poona in 1929. He was one of the few who captured the Quetta earthquake of the late 1920s through an aeroplane.

The only evidence of Irani’s exciting life lies in his own handwritten diary, in possession of his son Mehli Irani of Madras. He truly deserves a place in history. After all, it was he who pioneered the art of freezing time, on reel!

FARZAN MAZDA

Dahanu