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Veteran actress Nadira dies
Published on Thu, Feb 09, 2006 at 09:42, Updated on Thu, Feb 09, 2006 at 17:41 in Entertainment section
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Mumbai/New Delhi: Veteran yesteryear actress Nadira died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness.
Nadira, who suffered a cardiac arrest, had been keeping ill for quite some time and was admitted to the Bhatia Hospital in Mumbai a few weeks ago after suffering a paralytic stroke.
She had also developed other complications and had been in coma, doctors said.
Her funeral will be held on Thursday evening, former president of Cine Artistes Association and fellow actor Chandrashekhar said.
Nadira, who had turned 73 on December 5, 2005, stayed alone in a flat in South Mumbai and will be remembered for her memorable portrayals of Hindi cinema's first vamp during the 1950s and '60s.
The lovable vamp
A Jew from Baghdad, Nadira made a foray into Bollywood in the 1950s with the Raj Kapoor film Aan and then went on to act in more than 50 films in a career spanning close to five decades.
It was just the beginning of a journey for Bollywood's first vamp who set precedents in the Indian film industry.
She hit Bollywood big time with remarkable performances in films like Hanste Zakhm, Amar Akbar Anthony and Pakeezah.
Her portrayal of the immoral, Westernised temptress with an arched eyebrow became a defining and redeeming feature in a number of movies.
Her most memorable performance will always remain Raj Kapoor's Shree 420, where she played Maya - the high-flying socialite - so impressed by the protagonist's sleight of hand that she sets him off on the road to corruption.
The versatile actress continued to work well into her 50s and 60s, occasionally taking on the small but memorable role in such films like Sridevi-starrer Chaalbaaz, Mahesh Bhatt's eunuch story Tamanna, Merchant-Ivory production Cotton Mary and Ramesh Sippy's Saagar.
From being one of the first actresses to own a Rolls Royce in her hey-days, Nadira eventually became a recluse with few people to call as friends.
Her closest ally in Bollywood was actress Nimmi, with whom she always shared a warm relationship.
Nadira will always be remembered by fans as the most stylish vamp of the silver screen.
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