Nimmi
Nimmi | |
---|---|
British India, (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) | |
Died | 25 March 2020 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India | (aged 88)
Years active | 1949–1965 |
Notable work | Barsaat (1949) Deedar (1951) Daag (1952) Aan (1952) Amar (1954) Uran Khatola (1955) Kundan (1955) Basant Bahar (1956) |
Spouse | |
Awards | Kalakar Award (Living Legend Award) in 2015 |
Nimmi (born Nawab Bano; 18 February 1932 – 25 March 2020), was an Indian screen actress who achieved stardom in the 1950s and early 1960s in Hindi films. She was one of the leading actresses of the "golden era" of Hindi cinema.[1][2]
She gained popularity by playing spirited village belle characters, but has appeared in diverse genres such as fantasy and social films. Her best performances are considered to be in the films Sazaa (1951), India's first technicolor film Aan (1952), Uran Khatola (1955), Bhai-Bhai (1956), Kundan (1955), Mere Mehboob (1963), Pooja Ke Phool (1964), Akashdeep (1965), and Basant Bahar (1956). Raj Kapoor changed her name from Nawab Bano to "Nimmi".[3][4]
Early life
Nawab Bano was born in
When Nimmi was 11 years old, her mother suddenly died. Her father lived in Meerut where he worked and had another family; by this time, his contact with Nimmi's mother was minimal. Nimmi was therefore sent to live in Abbottabad near Rawalpindi with her maternal grandmother. The partition of India happened in 1947, and Abbottabad went to Pakistan. Nimmi's grandmother moved to Mumbai (then known as Bombay) and settled in the household of her other daughter, known by the name Jyoti. Herself a former actress, Jyoti was married to G. M. Durrani, a popular Indian playback singer, actor, and music director.[citation needed]
Career
In 1948, via the connection with her mother Wahidan who had worked with him in the 1930s, the famous filmmaker Mehboob Khan, invited the young Nimmi to watch the making of his current production Andaz at Central Studios. She had shown an interest in movies and this was an opportunity to understand the film making process. On the sets of Andaz, Nimmi met Raj Kapoor, who was starring in the film.[2][3][4] At that time, Raj Kapoor was filming his production of Barsaat (1949). Having already cast the famous actress Nargis in the female lead role, he was on the lookout for a young girl to play the second lead. After observing Nimmi's unaffected and shy behaviour as a guest on the sets of Andaz, he cast the teenaged Nimmi in Barsaat opposite the actor Prem Nath. Nimmi played the role of an innocent mountain shepherdess in love with a heartless city man. Barsaat, released in 1949, made movie history. It was a phenomenal and commercial success. Despite the presence of established and popular stars Nargis, Raj Kapoor and Prem Nath, Nimmi had a very prominent and well-received role and was an instant hit with the audiences.[4]
Rise to stardom
After Barsaat, Nimmi was flooded with film offers. She quietly polished her histrionic abilities and developed a mannered but effectively unique style of acting. The diminutive actress, with her saucer shaped expressive eyes, quickly won a loyal fan base with her intense and expressive performances.[4]
1950s
She worked with top heroes like
Mehboob Khan cast her in Aan (1952). The film was made with an extremely large budget. Nimmi played one of the female leads. Such was Nimmi's popularity at this point that when a first edit of the film was shown to the film's financiers and distributors, they objected that Nimmi's character died too early. An extended dream sequence was added to give Nimmi more prominence and screen time in the film. Aan was one of the first Indian movies to have a worldwide release. The film had an extremely lavish London premiere which Nimmi attended. The English version was entitled Savage Princess. On the London trip, Nimmi met many western film personalities including Errol Flynn. When Flynn attempted to kiss her hand, she pulled it away, exclaiming, "I am an Indian girl, you cannot do that!" The incident made the headlines and the press raved about Nimmi as the "... unkissed girl of India".[2][4]
Nimmi further revealed in a 2013 interview, that at the London premiere of Aan, she received four serious offers from Hollywood, including one from
Nimmi next had two big successes in 1956 with Basant Bahar and Bhai-Bhai. In 1957, at the age of 24, Nimmi received the critic's award for best actress for her role in Bhai Bhai. These films were also notable for her songs which were dubbed by Lata Mangeshkar. By this point, with a largely consistent run of success at the box-office, Nimmi had firmly established herself as one of the most bankable and popular leading ladies in Hindi cinema.[2]
In the late 1950s, Nimmi worked with renowned directors
Completion of Love & God
At this point, Nimmi opted for early retirement and marriage, but not before investing her best efforts into one last film production. Director
In 2013, in a rare interview with Rajya Sabha TV, Nimmi recounted her complete Hindi film career, from her beginnings as a child in Agra, her first break in Barsaat to the current day, and her experiences during this time.[5]
Personal life
In her interview with Irfan and Rajya Sabha TV, Nimmi recounted that she first saw a photo of her husband Ali Raza, himself a scriptwriter with Mehboob studios, during a shooting at Famous studio. Her hairdresser had shown her Raza's photo in the film magazine "Filmindia" and asked her why she did not want to marry him. She liked the idea as she had heard about Ali Raza. Soon, her co-actor Mukri also suggested the same. They acted as cupids, subsequently, their parents met, and then they were married. Thus, the match was arranged by the two families in the usual Indian way. The couple was not blessed with children, and they were both deeply disappointed by this. They subsequently adopted Nimmi's sister's son, who now lives in Manchester. Her husband Ali Raza died in 2007.[3][6][4]
Awards and recognition
- Kalakar Award (Living Legend Award) in 2015.[2]
Death
On 25 March 2020, she died at age 87.[2] After a prolonged illness, she was taken to the Juhu hospital after complaining of being unable to breathe. That same evening, doctors confirmed she had died. She had been in and out of hospitals during the last year of her life.[7][3][8]
Filmography
Year | Film | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1949 | Barsaat[2][3][4] | Neela | Debut film |
1950 | Wafaa | ||
Raj Mukut | |||
Jalte Deep | |||
Banwra | |||
1951 | Sazaa[4] | Asha | |
Buzdil | |||
Deedar[2][4] | Champa | ||
Bedardi | |||
Badi Bahu | |||
Sabz Baag | |||
1952 | Daag[2][4] | Parvati "Paro" | |
Aan[2][4] | Mangala | ||
Aandhiyan[4] | Rani | ||
Usha Kiran | |||
1953 | Humdard | ||
Aabshar | |||
Alif Laila
|
|||
Dard-E-Dil | |||
Mehmaan | |||
1954 | Amar[3][4] | ||
Pyaase Nain | |||
Kasturi | |||
Danka | |||
1955 | Society | ||
Uran Khatola[2][3][4] | Soni / Shibu | ||
Kundan[2] | Radha | ||
Bhagwat Mahima | |||
Shikaar | |||
1956 | Rajdhani | ||
Bhai-Bhai[2][4] | Rani | ||
Basant Bahar[2][3][4] | Gopi | ||
Jayshri | |||
1957 | Anjali | ||
Chotte Babu | |||
Arpan | |||
1958 | Sohni Mahiwal | ||
1959 | Pehli Raat | ||
Char Dil Char Rahen[4] | Pyari | ||
1960 | Angulimaal | Princess Maya | |
1961 | Shamma | ||
1963 | Mere Mehboob[3][4] | Najma, Anwar's sister | |
1964 | Pooja Ke Phool[3] | Gauri | |
Daal Me Kala | Manju | ||
1965 | Akashdeep | ||
1986 | Love & God[3]
|
Laila | Starting production in 1963, the film was released in 1986.[3] |
References
- ^ "Muslim female icons of Bollywood". The Nation. Archived from the original on 19 December 2022. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Namrata Joshi (26 March 2020). "Nimmi, doe-eyed star of the 1950s, passes away at 88". The Hindu (newspaper). Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Veteran Bollywood actress Nimmi passes away at 88". The New Indian Express (newspaper). 27 March 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Dinesh Raheja. "Petite powerhouse Nimmi". Rediff.com. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ "Guftagoo, the only uninterrupted Bollywood celebrity show on Indian television". Hindustan Times (newspaper). 20 August 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ M., Irfan (28 May 2013). "Guftagoo with Nimmi : Complete interview". Rajya Sabha TV via YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2021.
- ^ "Bollywood actor Nimmi no more". Deccan Herald (newspaper). 26 March 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021.
- ^ Yesteryear actress Nimmi passes away at 88 Filmfare.com website, Published 25 March 2020. Retrieved 10 January 2021
Sources
- Interview, Nimmi: "I have a dream to be Queen", The Indian Express Newspaper, Issue date: Friday, 30 May 1997. Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
- Reuben, Bunny. Mehboob: India's DeMille, South Asia Books
- Raheja, Dinesh. The Hundred Luminaries of Hindi Cinema, India Book House Publishers.
- Reuben, Bunny. Follywood Flashback, Indus publishers
- Rajadhyaksha, Ashish and Willemen, Paul. The Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Fitzroy Dearborn Publishers.
- Akbar, Khatija. Madhubala: Her Life, Her Films, New Delhi: UBS Publishers' Distributors
- Lanba, Urmila. The Life and Films of Dilip Kumar, Orient Paperbacks, India; New e. edition
- Ritu, Nanda. Raj Kapoor: His Life, His Films, Iskusstvo
External links
- Nimmi at IMDb