Nadira, born Florence Ezekiel, was an Indian actress who worked in the Hindi film industry from the 1950s to 2000s. She was born on December 5, 1932, in Baghdad, Iraq, into a Baghdadi Jewish family and became prominent for playing glamorous and villainous roles. Nadira won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for her performance in Julie (1975) and was among the highest-paid actresses of her time.
Actress Nadira Early Life
Nadira was born Florence Ezekiel on December 5, 1932, in Baghdad, Iraq, into a Baghdadi Jewish family. When she was an infant, her family migrated from Baghdad to Bombay (now Mumbai) in search of business opportunities. She had two brothers, one of whom later settled in the United States and another in Israel.
Her first appearance in cinema came at the age of 10 or 11 in the 1943 Hindi-language film Mauj. She grew up in Nagpada, South Mumbai, a predominantly Muslim and Jewish locality.
Actress Nadira Career Beginnings
Nadira’s breakthrough came from Sardar Akhtar, wife of film director Mehboob Khan, who cast her in the film Aan (1952). At the age of 19, she stormed into Bollywood with Aan, where she played a Rajput princess opposite Dilip Kumar, the reigning heartthrob of the times. Her role as Princess Rajshree marked her rise to cinematic prominence.
Nadira was chosen for the role mostly for her glowing skin, sharp features, and European appearance. The film established her as a leading actress in the Hindi film industry.
Notable Films and Roles
In 1955, Nadira played a rich socialite named Maya in Shree 420, one of her most memorable roles. She was often cast as a temptress or vamp, roles which were used as a foil to the chaste leading lady characters that were favoured at the time by the Hindi film industry. She played pivotal roles in films such as Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960), Pakeezah (1972), Hanste Zakhm (1973), and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977).
Nadira won the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Margaret ‘Maggie’ in the 1975 film Julie. Due to her image as a Westernized woman, she often played roles of Christian or Anglo-Indian ladies. During the 1980s and 1990s, she mostly played supporting characters.
Actress Nadira Later Career
Nadira continued to work in films and television through the late 1990s and early 2000s. She appeared in television serials including Ek Tha Rusty (1995), Thoda Sa Aasman (1995), Margarita (1997), and Zohra Mahal (2001). Her last film role was in Josh (2000), where she played Mrs. Louise.
She was among the highest-paid actresses during her career and was one of the first Indian actresses to own a Rolls-Royce. Her career spanned nearly six decades in the Indian entertainment industry.
Actress Nadira Age
Nadira was 73 years old at the time of her death. She was born on December 5, 1932, and passed away on February 9, 2006.
Actress Nadira Husband and Personal Life
Nadira was married twice, though both marriages ended in separation. Her first marriage was to Urdu-language poet and filmmaker Naqshab, whom she met on the set of Aan. The marriage lasted only one week after Nadira reportedly discovered that Naqshab was bringing other women to their home.
Nadira later married a second time, though limited details about her second husband are publicly available. Both marriages ended in divorce, and she remained unmarried thereafter.
Actress Nadira Final Years and Death
In her later years, Nadira lived alone in Mumbai, India, as many of her relatives had moved to Israel. In the last three years before her death, she had been residing in her condominium with only a housekeeper. She suffered from multiple health problems including tubercular meningitis, alcoholic liver disorder, and paralysis.
On January 24, 2006, Nadira suffered a cardiac arrest and was admitted to a hospital in a semi-comatose state. She died on February 9, 2006, at the Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo, Mumbai, following a prolonged illness.
Actress Nadira Legacy
Nadira is remembered as one of Bollywood’s most iconic vamps and glamorous actresses of the 1950s and 1960s. Her portrayal of bold, Westernized characters broke conventional norms in Hindi cinema. She paved the way for actresses to play complex, unconventional roles beyond the traditional heroine archetype.