Known as the first lady of Indian films, Nargis is one of the most iconic actresses in the Bollywood industry. Known for her portrayal as a sophisticated and independent woman in her films, Nargis is regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema. She was recognised for her work in a number of categories, including literary drama and cracking comedy.
Nargis was born Fatima Rashid on June 1, 1929, and appeared in numerous Hindi films from the 1940s to the 1960s. She began her acting career at the age of six with the film Talash-E-Haq in 1935. However, she gained recognition and critical acclaim for her performances in films like Barsaat (1949), Andaz(1949), and Awaara (1951), all of which were commercially successful.
One of Nargis' most memorable roles was in the film Mother India (1957), directed by Mehboob Khan. Her portrayal of Radha, a resilient and strong-willed mother, earned her immense praise and won a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The film is considered a classic in Indian cinema and remains one of Nargis' most celebrated works.
She her acting comeback after her marriage to Sunil Dutt with the 1967 film Raat Aur Din. Her performance in this film was highly acclaimed, and she received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a woman with multiple personality disorders.
In her remembrance, let us take a look at some of her most iconic performances.
Raat Aur Din (1967)
Satyen Bose's Raat Aur Din is a psychological drama. Varuna, a married lady with dissociative identity disorder, is portrayed by the lead actress, Nargis, who also received the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actress. She works as a typical Hindu housewife during the day and goes out on the streets of Calcutta at night, posing as Peggy.
Andaaz (1949)
Directed by Mehboob Khan, Andaz is considered a classic in Indian cinema and features a stellar cast, including Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Nargis, and Cuckoo. Nargis portrayed the character of Neeta, a woman caught in a love triangle between Rajan and Dilip. Her performance in the movie received a lot of praise and demonstrated both her talent and presence on screen. The movie is still significant to Nargis's career and is regarded as one of her standout performances.
Barsaat (1949)
Directed by Raj Kapoor himself, Barsaat was considered as one of the early successful films in his career. In this film, Nargis played the female lead role of Reshma, a mountain girl who falls in love with Pran (Raj Kapoor). The film revolves around a love story set against the backdrop of rainy weather. The RK studios logo to date remains the most iconic logo from Bollywood. It’s inspired from the poster design of Barsaat.
Awaara (1951)
Considered a milestone in the history of Bollywood, Awaara is crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life father Prithviraj Kapoor, as well as Nargis, Leela Chitnis and K. N. Singh. In this film, Nargis portrayed the role of Rita, a spirited and compassionate privileged woman who falls in love with Raj, a thief, who grows up as a street urchin and faces societal discrimination due to his lower-class background. Nargis became an international star after the film's release. She became an icon in Russia and Soviet Bloc countries.
Shri 420 (1955)
The highest-grossing movie of 1955, Shri 420, featured the enduring on-screen duo of Raj Kapoor and Nargis once more. In the movie, Nargis portrays Vidya, a poor but moral city girl who has a soft spot for Raj, a country kid. Raj, however, is quickly drawn in by an irresponsible lifestyle and ends up being a conman. The film depicted the divide between the haves and the have-nots and was critical of capitalist society.
In the Oscar-nominated Mehboob Khan film Mother India, Nargis portrayed Radha, a helpless villager who battles a crafty moneylender to raise her sons and survive. Interestingly, Nargis was only 28 years old when she played the role of this elderly woman. Nargis and Sunil Dutt fell in love during the making of the film. Dutt saved her when a fire broke out on the sets. They later got married.
See Alsio: Sanjay Dutt pens a heartfelt note to mom Nargis on her birth anniversary
Nargis was born Fatima Rashid on June 1, 1929, and appeared in numerous Hindi films from the 1940s to the 1960s. She began her acting career at the age of six with the film Talash-E-Haq in 1935. However, she gained recognition and critical acclaim for her performances in films like Barsaat (1949), Andaz(1949), and Awaara (1951), all of which were commercially successful.
One of Nargis' most memorable roles was in the film Mother India (1957), directed by Mehboob Khan. Her portrayal of Radha, a resilient and strong-willed mother, earned her immense praise and won a Filmfare Award for Best Actress. The film is considered a classic in Indian cinema and remains one of Nargis' most celebrated works.
She her acting comeback after her marriage to Sunil Dutt with the 1967 film Raat Aur Din. Her performance in this film was highly acclaimed, and she received the National Film Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a woman with multiple personality disorders.
In her remembrance, let us take a look at some of her most iconic performances.
Raat Aur Din (1967)
Satyen Bose's Raat Aur Din is a psychological drama. Varuna, a married lady with dissociative identity disorder, is portrayed by the lead actress, Nargis, who also received the prestigious National Film Award for Best Actress. She works as a typical Hindu housewife during the day and goes out on the streets of Calcutta at night, posing as Peggy.
Andaaz (1949)
Directed by Mehboob Khan, Andaz is considered a classic in Indian cinema and features a stellar cast, including Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Nargis, and Cuckoo. Nargis portrayed the character of Neeta, a woman caught in a love triangle between Rajan and Dilip. Her performance in the movie received a lot of praise and demonstrated both her talent and presence on screen. The movie is still significant to Nargis's career and is regarded as one of her standout performances.
Barsaat (1949)
Directed by Raj Kapoor himself, Barsaat was considered as one of the early successful films in his career. In this film, Nargis played the female lead role of Reshma, a mountain girl who falls in love with Pran (Raj Kapoor). The film revolves around a love story set against the backdrop of rainy weather. The RK studios logo to date remains the most iconic logo from Bollywood. It’s inspired from the poster design of Barsaat.
Awaara (1951)
Considered a milestone in the history of Bollywood, Awaara is crime drama film, produced and directed by Raj Kapoor, and written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. It stars Raj Kapoor along with his real-life father Prithviraj Kapoor, as well as Nargis, Leela Chitnis and K. N. Singh. In this film, Nargis portrayed the role of Rita, a spirited and compassionate privileged woman who falls in love with Raj, a thief, who grows up as a street urchin and faces societal discrimination due to his lower-class background. Nargis became an international star after the film's release. She became an icon in Russia and Soviet Bloc countries.
Shri 420 (1955)
The highest-grossing movie of 1955, Shri 420, featured the enduring on-screen duo of Raj Kapoor and Nargis once more. In the movie, Nargis portrays Vidya, a poor but moral city girl who has a soft spot for Raj, a country kid. Raj, however, is quickly drawn in by an irresponsible lifestyle and ends up being a conman. The film depicted the divide between the haves and the have-nots and was critical of capitalist society.
Mother India (1957)
In the Oscar-nominated Mehboob Khan film Mother India, Nargis portrayed Radha, a helpless villager who battles a crafty moneylender to raise her sons and survive. Interestingly, Nargis was only 28 years old when she played the role of this elderly woman. Nargis and Sunil Dutt fell in love during the making of the film. Dutt saved her when a fire broke out on the sets. They later got married.
See Alsio: Sanjay Dutt pens a heartfelt note to mom Nargis on her birth anniversary
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