The first Indian actress to own a Rolls Royce was an immigrant who once earned just Rs 1200
Owning a Rolls Royce car has come to be the ultimate symbol of wealth and luxury. From Mukesh Ambani to Shah Rukh Khan, the ultra rich of India own some model of the iconic luxury car. But they are far from the first Indian to own this car. Back in pre-independent India, only the Nawabs, Maharajas, and industrialists had the power and wealth to own a Rolls Royce. That is until one film star changed that.
The first Indian actress to own a Rolls Royce
Nadira, a popular actress in Indian films in the 1940s and 50s, was the first person from Bollywood to own a Rolls Royce, a feat she achieved in the 60s, when she was among the highest-paid Indian actresses. Born Florence Ezekiel in Baghdad to a Baghdadi Jewish family, Nadira and her family immigrated to India in the late-1930s, possibly during World War II. In 1943, she began working at the age of 11, was with the film Mauj. The actress was paid Rs 1200 for the film, a princely sum in those days, for any child artiste.
Nadira’s success in Bollywood and heydays
Nadira’s breakthrough as an actress was in 1952 with Mehboob Khan’s Aan, in which she played a Rajput princess. She later found fame playing temptresses and vamps in various successful films, such as Shree 420, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai. During the late-1950s and early-1960s, she was the most sought after actress in India. From the 1970s, she began doing supporting roles, doing films like Pakeezah, Julie, Saagar, among others. Her last film appearance was in a cameo in Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai-starrer Josh in 2000. Nadira died in her home in Mumbai in 2006 at the age of 73.
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