The first Indian actress to own a Rolls Royce once earned just Rs 1200 but later became the highest-paid actress in India.
Rolls Royce is a symbol of luxury. Worldover, the car is regarded as the ultimate vehicle the rich can own to show they have made it big. In India, the car is owned by billionaires like Mukesh Ambani and supertstars like Shah Rukh Khan. But one of the first Indians to own the car was an actor too and not one of the usual names. The actress was not a superstar, came from outside India, and after her career, died away from limelight.
First Indian actress to own Rolls Royce
Yesteryears’ superstar Nadira was one of the first Indian actors to own a Rolls Royce. Born Florence Ezekiel in Baghdad to a Baghdadi Jewish family, Nadira came to India as a child with her family. She began her acting career as a child artiste with the 1943 film Mauj when she was 10 or 11 years old. Her breakthrough as a grown up came with Mehboob Khan’s 1952 film Aan, where she played a Rajput princess. She went on to appear in hits like Shree 420 and Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi. In th 60s, at the height of her stardom, she became the highest-paid actress in India and bought the luxurious car.
When Nadira earned Rs 1200 as her first salary
But Nadira’s beginnings were humble. Her first salary – reportedly for her first film appearance in 1943. It is to be noted that the sum was substantial one in that era but still much lower than what stars were making. By the late-50s and early-60s, Nadira was charging in lakhs per film. But her stardom faded away after the 60s. She continued acting though and appeared in supporting roles in Pakeezah and Julie. For the latter, she won her only Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.
Nadira’s later years and death
Nadira became very selective in films in the 80s and 90s. One of her last big films was the Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Josh, where she had a cameo. In her later years, Nadira was confined to her home in Mumbai and lived alone. Most of her family had moved to Israel by now. Battling multiple health problems like liver disease and meningitis, Nadira suffered a cardiac arrest in January 2006 and slipped into a coma. Two weeks later, she died in a Mumbai hospital at age 73.
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 "Nadira was once India's highest-paid actress")
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