Nadira was born on 5 December 1932 in Baghdad, Iraq, into a Baghdadi Jewish family.[1] When she was an infant, her family migrated from Baghdad to Bombay in search of business opportunities.[3] She had two brothers, one of whom lives in the United States and another in Israel.[4]
Career
Nadira's first appearance in cinema was in the 1943 Hindi-language film Mauj when she was 10 or 11 years of age.[3]
Her breakthrough came from Sardar Akhtar, wife of film director Mehboob Khan who cast her in the film Aan (1952). Her role as a Rajput princess in the film marked her rise to cinematic prominence.[2][5][1] In 1955, she played a rich socialite named Maya in Shree 420.[1][2] She played pivotal roles in a number of films such as Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960), Pakeezah (1972), Hanste Zakhm (1973), and Amar Akbar Anthony (1977). 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.[2]
She was among the highest-paid actresses during her career, and was one of the first Indian actresses to own a Rolls-Royce.[2]
Personal life
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. On 24 January 2006, she suffered a cardiac arrest and was admitted to a hospital in a semi-comatose state. She had multiple existing health problems, including tubercular meningitis, alcoholic liver disorder, and paralysis.[2][5]
She died on 9 February 2006, at the age of 73, at the Bhatia Hospital in Tardeo, Mumbai, following a prolonged illness.[1][2] She was survived by her two brothers.[5]
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