Daisy Irani (television personality)

{{Short description|Indian-Singaporean actress}}{{About|the Indian-Singaporean actress|the Indian actress in Hindi films|Daisy Irani (actress)}}{{Update|part=Career|reason=there is a gap between 2010 and 2021.|date=April 2023}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Daisy Irani

| image =

| birth_place = Bombay, India

| citizenship = Singapore

| occupation = Actress, director, producer

| spouse = Subin Subaiah

| years_active = 1992–present

| children =

| mother = Padmarani

}}

Daisy Irani Subaiah is a Singaporean television actress, director, and producer of Indian origin.

Early life

She was born to Gujarati film actress Padmarani and stage director Namdar Irani in Bombay, India.{{cite web | author=DeshGujarat | title=Noted Gujarati actress Padma Rani passes away | website=DeshGujarat | date=25 January 2016 | url=http://DeshGujarat.Com/2016/01/25/veteran-gujarati-actress-padma-rani-passes-away/ | accessdate=10 February 2016 | archive-date=16 February 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216023149/http://deshgujarat.com/2016/01/25/veteran-gujarati-actress-padma-rani-passes-away/ | url-status=live }}

Career

= Early career =

Irani was an established actress in films and theatre in Gujarati, having acted in 18 Gujarati films, several television shows, and theatre performances with the Indian National Theatre.{{Cite web |title=Interview With Daisy Irani Subaiah Interview : www.MumbaiTheatreGuide.com |url=https://www.mumbaitheatreguide.com/dramas/interviews/daisy-irani-subaiah-interview.asp# |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.mumbaitheatreguide.com}}

After she moved to Singapore, she appeared in the role of Daisy Matthews in the popular Singapore TV series Under One Roof televised in 1995.{{Cite web |title=Daisy Irani On Breaking Boundaries, Confidence And The Thrills Of Theatre |url=https://www.lofficielsingapore.com/tiffany-community/daisy-irani-on-breaking-boundaries-confidence-and-the-thrills-of-theatre |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=L'Officiel Singapore |language=en}}

At Mediacorp, she was the executive producer for MediaCorp Studio's English Entertainment Productions Division. In 2007, she became the head of the Central Channel's Programming and Promotions, as well as their TV12 Creative Services Division.Safdar, Ashraf. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/277942/1/.html Daisy Irani appointed TV12's Head of Central Programming] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070525042137/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/277942/1/.html |date=25 May 2007 }}, Channel NewsAsia 2007-05-23 In 2008, the Central Channel became defunct after Kids Central and Arts Central were merged to form Okto, and Vasantham Central became a full-fledged channel as Vasantham, occupying the original Central channel.Seah, May. [http://www.todayonline.com/articles/282623.asp Okto and Vasantham are new editions to tv line up] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081021235059/http://www.todayonline.com/articles/282623.asp |date=2008-10-21 }}, TODAYonline 2008-10-21Yeen Nie, Hoe. [http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/371587/1/.html Kids and Arts Central to be relaunched as okto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090110053858/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/371587/1/.html |date=10 January 2009 }}, Channel News Asia 2008-08-25

= HuM Theatre =

In 2010, Irani founded HuM Theatre, a theatre company.{{Cite web |last=cue |date=2023-04-12 |title=HuM Theatre uses humour to explore cultural clashes in We Are Like This Only 3 {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/hum-theatre-uses-humour-to-explore-cultural-clashes-in-we-are-like-this-only-3 |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en}} In 2020, the theatre company gave Zee TV broadcasting rights to four of its plays.{{Cite web |title=Singapore's HuM theatre rides on Zee TV's reach, enters 9.6 million homes |url=https://www.connectedtoindia.com/singapores-hum-theatre-rides-on-zee-tvs-reach-enters-96-million-homes-8148.html |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.connectedtoindia.com}}

In 2019, Irani produced a play, Being Mrs Gandhi, and acted as Kasturba Gandhi, the wife of Mahatma Gandhi, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi's birth. The production came after Irani attended a talk by Gandhi's granddaughter, Ela Gandhi, about her grandmother in 2018.{{Cite web |title=Singapore play about Gandhi's wife sheds light on Indian leader's life |url=https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/entertainment/mahatma-gandhi-wife-play-singapore-261121 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=CNA Lifestyle |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Santosh |date=2019-10-11 |title=Not easy Being Mrs Gandhi |url=https://www.tamilmurasu.com.sg/tabla/singapore/story20191011-34890 |access-date=2023-04-29 |website=www.tamilmurasu.com.sg |language=en}}

In 2021, Irani starred in a short film #MakeThatCall, about bridging an increasing physical gap between young people and aging parents.{{Cite web |title=Daisy's reminder to young people: #MakeThatCall |url=https://www.connectedtoindia.com/daisys-reminder-to-young-people-makethatcall-9650.html |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.connectedtoindia.com}}

In 2023, Irani staged We Are Like This Only 3, with cast from HuM Theatre, with Irani calling it 'unintended trilogy'.{{Cite web |last=cue |date=2023-04-23 |title=Theatre review: We Are Like This Only 3's comedy shows racial integration is no laughing matter {{!}} The Straits Times |url=https://www.straitstimes.com/life/arts/theatre-review-we-are-like-this-only-3-s-comedy-shows-racial-integration-is-no-laughing-matter |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=www.straitstimes.com |language=en}} The first two plays focused on tensions between Singaporean Indians and expatriate Indians, while the third play focused on tensions between new Singaporean citizens from India and the Chinese majority.

Personal life

She moved from Mumbai to Singapore in 1991 when her husband, Subin Subaiah, was posted there for work. In 2004, the couple received their Singapore citizenship.{{Cite web |date=2016-09-02 |title=New Indians, old Indians |url=https://www.asiaone.com/entertainment/new-indians-old-indians |access-date=2023-04-28 |website=AsiaOne |language=en}}

Filmography

=Television=

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Ref

1995 – 2003

|Under One Roof

|Daisy Matthews

2006

|ABC DJ

|Executive Producer

= Theatre =

class="wikitable"

!Year

!Title

!Role

!Notes

!Ref

1996

|Suite Hearts

|Director, producer

|{{Cite web |last=Siow |first=Pearlin |date=30 August 1996 |title=Suite stories of the heart|url=https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/newspapers/Digitised/Article/citywkly19960830-1.2.9.1 |access-date=2023-04-28 |publisher=City Weekly |language=en-SG |via=NewspaperSG}}

2013

|We Are Like This Only

2016

|We Are Like This Only 2

2019

|Being Mrs Ghandi

|Kasturba Gandhi

|Producer

2023

|We Are Like This Only 3