Jayant Desai

Besides film direction he also acted in several films. In 1943 he left Ranjit Studios to found his own production company, Jayant Desai Productions. In 1960s he founded Jupiter Films and Hemlata Pictures.

• Name — Jayant Desai • Birth Name — Jayantilal Jhinabhai Desai • Born — 28 February 1909 • Birthplace — Surat, Gujarat, India • Died — 19 April 1976 • Place of death — Mumbai, India • Occupation — Film director

Desai was born in Surat on 28 February 1909. He had graduated from University of Bombay.

By 1943, Desai was one of the leading directors of Ranjit Studios and had starred in many mythological films like Veer Babruwahan (1934) with Eddie Bilimoria in the lead role. In the same year he left Ranjit studios and started his own production company; Jayant Desai Productions. The 1944 film Manorama was his first film under his own production banner. He had directed the 1952 Raj Kapoor and Nargis starrer film Amber. and the 1950 blockbuster hit Hindu mythological film Har Har Mahadev featuring Trilok Kapoor as Shiva and Nirupa Roy as Parvati. In the film Ambar, Tanuja played the role of Nargis' character's childhood. During the shooting of one of his films Bansuri, singer Mukesh met Raj Kapoor, who was the film's assistant director. This meeting helped establish the career of Mukesh. Desai had directed the 1940 film Diwali. As an independent producer, he founded Jupiter Films and Hemlata Pictures in the early 1960s. He had directed the 1945 historical film Samrat Chandragupta (translation:Emperor Chandragupta) based on the life of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, and the Kundan Lal Saigal musical film Tadbir (1945) in which Shashi Kapoor (then 7 years old) acted as a child artist. He had directed the 1935 film College Girl.

As Director • Noor-E-Watan (1930) • Jawan Mard (1930) • Joban Na Jadu (1930) • Vilasi Atma (1931) • Vijay Lakshmi (1931) • Mukti Sangram (1931) • Katil Katari (1931) • Banke Sawariya (1931) • Sipahsalar (1932) • Lal Swar (1932) • Fauladi Pahelwan (1932) • Do Badmash (1932) • Char Chakram (1932) • Bhutio Mahal (1932) • Krishna Sudama (1933) • Bhool Bhulaiyan (1933) • Bhola Shikar (1933) • Veer Babruwahan (1934) • Toofan Mail (1934) • Sitamgarh (1934) • Nadira (1934) • Noor-E-Watan (1935) • College Kanya (1935) • Rangila Raja (1936) • Raj Ramani (1936) • Matlabi Duniya (1936) • Laheri Lala (1936) • Zameen Ka Chand (1937) • Toofani Toli (1937) • Mitti Ka Putla (1937) • Prithvi Putra (1938) • Billi (The Cat) (1938) • Ban Ki Chidiya (1938) • Sant Tulsidas (1939) • Diwali (1940) • Aaj Ka Hindustan (1940) • Shaadi (1941) • Beti (1941) • Fariyaad (1942) • Chandni (1942) • Zaban (1943) • Tansen (1943) • Bhaktaraj (1943) • Bansari (1943) • Manorama (1944) • Lalkar (1944) • Tadbir (1945) • Samrat Chandragupta (1945) • Maharana Pratap (1946) • Veer Bhimsen (film)|Veer Bhimsen (1950) • Shaan (1950) • Har Har Mahadev (1950) • Shri Ganesh Janma (1951) • Dasavtaar (1951) • Shiv Shakti (1952) • Nishan Danka (1952) • Amber (1952) • Naya Raasta (1953) • Manchala (1953) • Hazaar Raaten (1953) • Shiv Ratri (1954) • Miss Mala (1954) • Sati Madalasa (1955) • Hamara Watan (1956) • Basant Panchami (1956) • Lakshmi Pooja (1957) • Zamana Badal Gaya (1961)