Nari Hira, founder of Stardust Magazine, died Friday, August 23, at the age of 86. Hira founded Magna Publishing Co, which published Stardust, Savvy, Showtime, Society and Health. He launched Stardust in 1971. Hira also entered film production through Magna Films, a subsidiary of his publishing company.
Vir Sanghvi wrote on X: “RIP Nari Hira, the genius of Indian publishing. The magazine revolution started when he launched Stardust. He broke all the conventions of film reporting and then created a magazine empire based on these principles: be sharp, be direct, but write well and make it look good. I will miss him.”
Hira is also credited as the career launcher of famous journalist and author Shobhaa De. De shared a photo of Hira on X with a post that read, “Farewell boss…”
Paying tribute to Hira’s legacy and his pioneering work in journalism and publishing, veteran journalist Meenal Baghel said, “The era of magazines may be behind us, but in its heyday, Nari Hira, who headed Magna Publishing, was a true pioneer. He founded Stardust, which not only boosted Shobhaa De’s career but also popularised the use of Hinglish.”
She wrote on X: “In the 1990s, when video was getting big, he founded Hiba Films, which made saucy video-only shows with people like Persis Khambatta. The shows were like Desi Dallas and The Bold and the Beautiful and anticipated a lot of what many OTT platforms are doing today.”
The era of magazines may be behind us, but in its heyday, Nari Hira, who headed Magna Publishing, was a true pioneer. He founded Stardust, which not only boosted Shobhaa De’s career but also popularized the use of Hinglish. 🧵
— Meenal Baghel (@writemeenal) 24 August 2024
RIP Nari Hira, the genius of Indian publishing. The magazine revolution started when he launched Stardust. He broke all the conventions of film reporting and then created a magazine empire based on these principles: be sharp, be direct, but write well and make it look good.
I will miss him pic.twitter.com/KgJ6rfluk8— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) 24 August 2024
Nari Hira is no longer around. We no longer have such courageous publishers.
Sometimes mischievous, but always honest. The magazines “Stardust”, “Showtime”, “Savvy” and “Society” influenced the youth of the 80s and offered a platform to many authors and journalists. pic.twitter.com/se9EDX4ZYm— Sheela Bhatt शीला भट्ट (@sheela2010) 24 August 2024
Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal stressed in an Instagram post: “Heartbroken 💔 A legend of publishing left us today. Dear Nari Hira, who revolutionized publishing in India from Stardust to Society. Who made Magna Publishing an institution. Who was the heart of the media and yet managed to stay away from all the showbiz. You will be truly missed my dear friend. Rest in peace. You will live on in our hearts. #RIPNariHira.”
RIP Nari Hira: He introduced India to Stardust, Savvy, Showtime, Society etc. And then after covering film gossips, he decided to produce films too. During the promotional period, I was often asked if I was related to him: I smiled and left the question hanging in the air. https://t.co/qRhmgjM3mf
— Mohit Hira (@mohitoz) 24 August 2024
Hira was born in Karachi in 1938 and his family moved to Bombay (now Mumbai) after Partition in 1947. He began his career as a journalist in the 1960s but later ventured into publishing. Stardust, launched in 1971, was a successful film magazine and often courted controversy for its sensational stories and gossip about celebrities and the Bollywood film industry.
