Meet Sonam Kapoor's 'grandmother', Bollywood's original glamour girl who gave India's first bold shoot, then became Pakistan's..., name is..

During the 1950s, Indian cinema was very traditional, and actresses rarely did anything considered too bold. But Begum Para posed for a daring photoshoot for Life Magazine, which became the talk of the town. It was unusual and even shocking for many people at that time. But this step helped change how people saw glamour and women in films. She became a style icon and was praised for her fearless attitude.

Begum Para was born as Zubaida ul Haq in Jhelum, now in Pakistan. Her brother was already part of the film industry and had moved to Bombay. He married actress Protima Dasgupta, and Begum Para often accompanied her sister-in-law to film shoots.

That’s how she got drawn to cinema. One day at a party, filmmakers Shashadhar Mukherjee and Devika Rani noticed her and offered her a role. She made her debut with the 1944 film Chand, which became a hit.

Begum Para went on to act in several successful films and became one of the highest-paid actresses of her time. In 1958, she married actor Nasir Khan, who was the younger brother of legendary actor Dilip Kumar.

After marriage, she decided to quit acting. The couple had three children, including Ayub Khan, who later became an actor in both films and television.

Begum Para’s husband passed away in 1974. After his death, she briefly moved to Pakistan with her family but returned to India within two years. 

He stayed away from the limelight for decades but returned to the screen one last time in 2008, playing Sonam Kapoor’s grandmother in Saawariya. That same year, she passed away at the age of 82, remembered as a graceful star who wasn’t afraid to be different.