Actress Nadira redefined Hindi cinema with her bold, vampish roles. Known for Shree 420 and her iconic style, she was the first to portray negative characters with effortless charm, setting a trend long before it became popular.
With her Western roots, Nadira often portrayed Christian or Anglo-Indian characters. Her final role was in Josh, starring Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Producers frequently offered her significant sums to take on bold roles, often requesting she wear sarees styled below the navel—a testament to her elegance and charm that captivated audiences.
In an old interview, Nadira reflected on her career, expressing regret over playing bold and seductive roles. She revealed that she had no desire to portray such characters and felt that better guidance could have steered her away from them. Nadira admitted she never aspired to be labeled as a “vamp.”
However, he also shared that, like many young actresses of her time, she was eager to work with Raj Kapoor and agreed to take on a negative role in Shree 420 to fulfill that dream. The film became a huge success, and her portrayal of the character ‘Maya’ was so well-received that producers began typecasting her in similar negative roles.
While Nadira did take on some positive roles in her career, she struggled to shake off the negative image established by her portrayal of ‘Maya’ in Shree 420, despite turning down over 200 similar offers. As a result, she ended up accepting roles that were negative but not entirely vampish. Nevertheless, she remains remembered as the actress who boldly took on negative roles, always receiving applause and admiration for her performances.
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