Nari Hira, owner of Mumbai-based Magna Publishing that publishes magazines such as Stardust, Savvy, Showtime, Society and Health, died on August 23 at 86.
“It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of his passing, a pioneer in print media, a family man and father beyond compare, he leaves us heartbroken in his absence,” media reports quoted his family as saying in a statement.
Stardust, launched in 1971, was a rage at one point of time with its controversial stories surrounding Bollywood stars. Hira, who was born in Karachi, moved to Mumbai after partition where he began as a journalist but shifted to publishing. Another well-known magazine was Savvy, known for its main feature, the Savvy Woman of the Month. He pioneered the video films genre in the 1980s by producing around 15 video films under his banner Hiba Films, according to information in Wikipedia.
“RIP Nari Hira, the genius of Indian publishing. The magazine revolution began when he launched Stardust. He broke every convention of film coverage & then created a magazine empire based on those principles; be sharp, be blunt but write well & make it look good…I will miss him,” senior journalist Vir Sanghvi tweeted.
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