Homi Wadia was a Bollywood film producer and director. His film career spanned for around five decades during which he directed more than 40 flicks. He was also the co-founder of Wadia Movietone productions which was established in the year 1933. However after the closure of Wadiatone, he established Basant Pictures in the year 1942. Homi Wadia is also credited as one of the founding members of the Film and Television Producers Guild of India formed in 1954.

Early Life of Homi Wadia
Homi Wadia was born to a Parsi family. His ancestors, originally from Surat in Gujarat, hailed from a shipbuilding family, Wadia Group, which was also involved in building British-wartime ship HMS Trincomalee in the year 1817. In the 18th century, his family shifted to Bombay (now Mumbai). At the age of 16, Homi Wadia completed his schooling and attended college just for a day after which he decided to pursue a career in the film world. Thus he began assisting his elder brother JBH Wadia, who also worked as a film director.

Career of Homi Wadia
Homi Wadia stepped into the film arena as a cinematographer with the movie Lal-e-Yaman in the year 1933. In the same year he also co-established Wadia Movietone along with his elder brother JBH Wadia, brothers Burjor and Nadirsha Tata and film distributor Manchersha B. Billimoria. Within three days, Tata brothers withdrew from the partnership and the company went ahead with the production of films, documentaries and newsreels. For honouring the family legacy, the company had a ship as its logo. Raj Nartaki in 1941 was the last film produced by the company under the direction of Madhu Bose. Following this, in 1942, the studio was bought by V. Shantaram who later established Rajkamal Kalamandir in its premises. Homi Wadia who used to work as a director for the company, then established Basant Pictures as a film production house in the same year. Subsequently in 1947 he founded a film studio under the same banner which was functional till the year 1981.

Homi Wadia continued his work as a film producer and director. He also gained recognition as a drama actor. He was especially known for his films with actress and stuntwoman Nadia including Hatim Tai, Miss Frontier Mail and Hunterwali. Other popular films of Homi Wadia are Diamond Queen, Zimbo, Khiladi, Alibaba and 40 Thieves, Adventures of Aladdin, Toofan Aur Bijlee, Punjab Mail and many more. In the year 1981, Homi Wadia got involved in a labour dispute and consequently quit filmmaking, shutting down Basant Studios.

Personal Life and Death of Homi Wadia
Homi Wadia was married to Nadia since the year 1961. Post retirement he used to live in Mumbai. He was quite active till his late life and regularly visited Basant theatre, located at Chembur. His wife Nadia died in 1996. Homi Wadia died in the year 2004, at the age of 93, in Mumbai.

Filmography of Homi Wadia