Nadira: A confident woman and sophisticated vamp

Yesteryear actress Nadira was the first sophisticated vamp in Hindi cinema, at a time when women were expected to look demure and do only positive roles.

Nadira made her foray into Bollywood in the 50s with films like Aan  (1952) featuring Dilip Kumar and Shree420 (1955) with Raj Kapoor, and gave new meaning and depth to the character of a vamp in several films, playing the confident, often sensuous young woman who was not afraid to get what she wanted.

Her arched eyebrows, as she wooed Raj Kapoor in the song Mud mud ke nadekh in the classic Shree 420 would remain etched in the memories of cine lovers for a long time.

Nadira's career spanned over five decades during which she acted in over 60 films. She has been part of some of Hindi filmdom's most well known movies, starting off with the Mehboob Khan-directed Aan, where she played the fiery Princess Rajashree, and featuring in classics like Waris, Shree 420, Kamal Amrohi's Pakeezah, Dil Apna Aur PreetParayi, Saagar and Amar Akbar Anthony.

The 74-year-old Nadira won the 1975 Filmfare award in the Best Supporting Actress category for her portrayal of the protagonist's mother in the film Julie.

Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Josh in 2000 was Nadira's last outing as an actress in a Bollywood film. She had also featured in Ismail Merchant's English film Cotton Mary (1999) and Pooja Bhatt's Tamanna (1997).