Veteran actress, Nadira who died at the Bhatia hospital after a prolonged illness, was cremated according to Hindu rites at Chandanwadi at noon.
Veteran actress, Nadira who died at 4am on Thursday at the age of 73 at the Bhatia hospital after a prolonged illness, was cremated according to Hindu rites at Chandanwadi at noon. She is survived by her two brothers.
Although Nadira, nee Florence Ezekiel, was born a Jew, she had stipulated in her will, that she should be cremated. Very few members of the film industry were present at the last rites.
Among those who had turned up were Gulzar, Mahesh Bhatt, Madhur Bhandarkar, Ashok Pandit, Deepti Naval, Ameen Sayani, Shammi and Cine and TV Artistes’ Association members Chandrashekhar and Dharmesh Tiwari.
Nadira was admitted to the hospital on December 31 after a paralytic stroke. She also had liver failure. For nearly a decade, the actress had been suffering from various ailments and had complained of mounting medical bills.
After her last two films Snip and Josh, and a pivotal role in the TV serial Margarita, Nadira had confined herself to her third floor apartment at Vasundhara building at the foot of Peddar Road. The spacious, old-worldly apartment was filled with old photographs and assorted memorabilia. Shobha, her domestic help since the last five years, said Nadira was very particular that the books and photographs remained intact till her end came.
“She would not let anyone touch anything in the house,” said Shobha.
Shobha wept inconsolably. “I was hired as a badli (a substitute) for two months. But, when it was time for me to go, she said I could not leave her alone. I called her mummy. Every evening she would tell me anecdotes from her life.”
According to Dharmesh Tiwari, Nadira did not face financial problems. The association had asked her if she had needed monetary help but she had always declined the offer politely. PM Rungta, former BCCI president and the actress’ friend, was present at the crematorium. According to the others present there, Rungta will be the executor of Nadira’s will.
Solomon F Sopher, chairman of the Sephardi Federation of India, said Nadira was very religious and visited the synagogue during the Jewish New Year.
“Though we would have liked her to be buried in the Jewish tradition, she has willed otherwise,” he said, concluding, “We feel sad about this since we will not be able to observe the customary mourning period in her memory.”
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