Nadira

Nadira (born Farhat Ezekiel Nadira, also known as Florence Ezekiel; 5 December 1932 – 9 February 2006) was a prominent Indian actress who worked primarily in Hindi films, becoming one of the most distinctive and stylish figures in Bollywood during the 1950s and 1960s.

Nadira was born in Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq, into a Baghdadi Jewish family. Her family later settled in Nagpada, South Mumbai, a predominantly Muslim and Jewish locality. Her full name was Farhat Ezekiel Nadira, and she was also known as Florence Ezekiel before adopting the screen name Nadira.

Full Name	Nadira
Other Name(s)	Florence Ezekiel
Occupation	Actress
Date of Birth	05-December-1932 (73 years)
Birth Location	Baghdad, Kingdom of Iraq
Gender	Female
Nationality	Indian
Zodiac Sign	Virgo
Death Time	09-February-2006
Death Location	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Height	170 cm
Weight	64 kg
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Black
School	National School of Drama (NSD), New Delhi
College	A.J. College of Science & Technology, University college, Thiruvandhapuram, Sree Sankaracharya University of Saskrit
Qualification	B.A. Journalism and Mass Comunication, M.A. Political Science, M.A. in Theatre
Hobbies	Helping people

At the tender age of 19, she stormed into Bollywood with the movie The Savage Princess (1952) opposite Dilip Kumar, who was the reigning heartthrob of that era. She embarked on her journey in the film industry by acting the role of Princess Rajshree in the film Aan, directed by Mehboob Khan, though Sardar Begum, the wife of the film's director, is credited with introducing her to the film industry.

Nadira is best remembered for her performances in films during the 1950s and 1960s, where she often played memorable roles as a femme fatale or sophisticated character.

Some of her most memorable films include Police, Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai, Chhoti Chhoti Baatein, Ek Nanhi Munni Ladki Thi, Safar, Bombay Talkie, Pakeezah, Anokha Daan, Hanste Zakhm, Amar Akbar Anthony, Dahshat, Saagar, and Tamanna. She was most probably the first actress to smoke on screen in Bollywood, marking her as a trailblazer.

In 1975, Nadira won the Filmfare Award for her performance in Julie, in which she played the protagonist who struggles to deal with the hardships of her life. She was among the highest-paid actresses during her career and was one of the first Indian actresses to own a Rolls-Royce, reflecting her status and success.

Nadira was a Baghdadi Jew hailing from Nagpada, South Mumbai. She passed away on 9 February 2006 in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, at the age of 73.

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