December 5 marks the 90th birth anniversary of Nadira, the famous diva of the Hindi film industry during the 50s and 60s. The actress gained cinematic prominence with her popular dance number Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh (Shree 220), and her stint in the film Julie.
The Chetna actress reigned supreme in her time and was probably the first Hindi film star to be chauffeured around in a Rolls Royce with a humongous salary of Rs 3,600. Keep reading this space to know more about the Kala Bazar actress, who was fond of living an extravagant lifestyle.
Nadira was born Florence Ezekiel in a Baghdadi Jewish family on December 5, 1932. Her family moved to Mumbai (then Bombay) from Iraq like many other Baghdadi Jewish families who looked for better business opportunities in India. Nadira embarked on her journey in the film industry by enacting the role of Princess Rajshree in the film Aan, directed by Mehboob Khan.
But the credit for introducing Nadira to the film industry goes to Sardar Begum, the wife of the film’s director. Based on a story by RS Choudhury and dialogues by Ali Raza, Aan brought Mehboob international acclaim. According to critics, the movie was a lavish spectacle and provided a brilliant start to Nadira.
After this film, there was no looking back for Nadira, who impressed viewers with her immaculate performances in Anokha Daan, Pocket Maar, etc. The song Mud Mud Ke Na Dekh picturised on her is etched in the minds of many Hindi cinema lovers.
A highlight of this song was the iconic cigarette holder carried by her, which became an instant go-to fashion accessory at the time. She was most probably the first actress to smoke on screen in Bollywood.
In 1975, she got the Filmfare Award for Julie, in which she played the protagonist who struggles to deal with the hardships of her life. Her acting was highly appreciated in this film, directed by KS Sethumadhavan.
Nadira died on February 9, 2006, after suffering from a prolonged illness.
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