[1] He moved to Calcutta in 1902 where he founded Elphinstone Bioscope Company, and began producing and exhibiting silent movies including Jyotish Sarkar's Bengal Partition Movement in 1905.

[2][3] Elphinstone merged into Madan Theatres Limited in 1919 which brought adapted many of Bengali's most popular literary works to the stage.

JF Madan had to leave school, and he joined Elphinstone Dramatic Club as a prop boy in 1868.

His success in a business of supplying goods to army cantonments enabled him to buy Corinthian Hall, where theatre shows used to be staged.

In 1907, he established Elphinstone Picture Palace (currently known as Chaplin Cinema), which was the first permanent show house in Calcutta.

[4] During the First World War, he helped as a supplier to Supply and Transport Corps in the British Indian Army in Lucknow.

In 1919, his film production business became a joint stock company with the name of Madan Theatres Limited.

Madan and his relatives were involved in a variety of businesses including liquor imports, food, pharmaceutical products, real estate, insurance, etc.

[citation needed] Indian-American actor Erick Avari is a great-great-grandson of J. F. Madan (and great-grandson of J. J.