Nargis

Golden Age 1935–1967

One of the most acclaimed actresses of Hindi cinema’s golden age, Nargis brought emotional depth and dignity to every role. Her portrayal of the indomitable mother Radha in Mother India is among the most celebrated performances in Indian film. She later served in the Rajya Sabha.

Honours: First actress to receive the Padma Shri; National Film Award for Best Actress (Raat Aur Din).

Filmography

The Golden Era

1957

Mother India

Epic Drama Dir. Mehboob Khan

India’s first Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Film; the archetype of maternal sacrifice.

1951

Awaara

Social Drama Dir. Raj Kapoor

A global sensation from Mumbai to Moscow; nature-versus-nurture on film.

Signature Roles

Shree 420

Barsaat

Andaz

Best known for: Mother India · Awaara · Shree 420 · Barsaat · Andaz

Did You Know?

Mother India was India’s first Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film.
Sholay (1975) ran for over five years at Mumbai’s Minerva theatre and its dialogues are quoted to this day.
Mother India (1957) was India’s first film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959) was the first Indian film shot in CinemaScope widescreen.

← Back to the Bollywood Hub