Contents
Nargis
Playing the resilient mother at the centre of Mother India.
Awaara · Mother India
- Born
- 1 June 1929
- Birthplace
- Calcutta, British India
- Died
- 3 May 1981
More people
Nargis
Nargis was an Indian actor whose films helped define post-independence Hindi cinema. She moved from childhood appearances to major dramatic roles and later public service.
Early life
A musical household
Her mother, Jaddanbai, was a singer, composer and early film producer.
Child performer
Born Fatima Rashid, she appeared in Talash-E-Haq at six.
Career
- 1935
Screen beginnings
Made her childhood film appearance in Talash-E-Haq.
- 1943
Leading roles
Taqdeer helped establish her as a young leading actor.
- 1949–1957
Major Hindi star
Worked in celebrated dramas and romances, including collaborations with Raj Kapoor.
- 1967
Late return
Raat Aur Din brought the inaugural National Film Award for Best Actress.
Selected work
Awaara
Played Rita opposite Raj Kapoor in the influential social drama.
Mother India
Played Radha, a mother facing poverty and a painful moral choice.
Raat Aur Din
Played a woman whose contrasting identities shape the psychological drama.
Beyond work
Family
Married actor Sunil Dutt in 1958; they had three children, including actor Sanjay Dutt.
Public service
Supported the Spastics Society of India and became a nominated Rajya Sabha member in 1980.
Sources & photo credit
Life, career and references ↗TCM: Mother India ↗Photo: Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. GODL-India · Original image. Cropped and displayed in monochrome.
