Who was Nari Hira? The founder of Stardust magazine has died at the age of 86

Renowned journalist and film producer Nari Hira died on Friday at the age of 86.

“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of his passing. He was a pioneer of print media, a family man and a father without equal. We are heartbroken by his absence,” Nari Hira’s family said in a statement.

Nari Hira, a well-known figure in the publishing industry, was the owner of Magna Publishing Co. Ltd, known for a diverse range of magazines including Stardust, Society, Savvy, Health & Nutrition, Citadel and Society Interiors.

He was involved in film production through Hiba Films, which produced about 15 video films in the 1980s, and later through Magna Films, which he founded in 2007.

Nari Hira was born in Karachi in 1938. His family came to Mumbai after the partition.

He began his career in journalism before moving into publishing.

“Nari Hira has led a charmed life. He started out as an advertising executive in smart Savile Row suits (he hired me as a junior copywriter on a princely salary of Rs 350 lakh) and went on to build a media empire with a bouquet of glossy magazines – some successful, some not. He was a pioneer of video films, mostly for adults, decades before Sunny Leone came on the scene. In a way, as a bold publisher who broke several conventions, he saw it all and did it all. We have remained friends all this time and that is a big deal for me – and I hope it is for him too!” wrote noted columnist Shobhaa De in a column titled Nari Hira aka Mr Stardust in THE WEEK in 2023.