Did you know that Raj Kapoor’s ‘Shree 420’ co-star Nadira was paid hugely for playing bold roles and wearing a saree below the navel? |

Actress Nadira has redefined Hindi cinema with her bold and vampy roles. Known for Shree 420 and her iconic style, she was the first to portray negative characters with natural charm, creating a trend long before it became popular.
With her Western roots, Nadira often plays Christian or Anglo-Indian characters. His last role was in Josh, co-starring Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. Producers frequently offered him large sums to cover daring rolesoften asking her to wear sarees worn below the navel, a testament to her elegance and charm that captivated audiences.

In an old interview, Nadira spoke about her career, expressing her regrets for playing bold and seductive roles. She revealed that she had no desire to portray such characters and felt that better guidance could have steered her away from them. Nadira admitted that she never aspired to be called a “vampire.”

However, he also shared that like many young actresses of her time, she was eager to work with Raj Kapoor and agreed to play a negative role in Shree 420 to fulfill this dream. The film became a huge success and her portrayal of the character “Maya” was so well received that producers began casting her in similar negative roles.
Although Nadira has taken on some positive roles in her career, she has struggled to shed the negative image established by her portrayal of ‘Maya’ in Shree 420, despite turning down over 200 similar offers. As a result, she ended up accepting negative but not entirely vampy roles. Nonetheless, she is remembered as the actress who boldly took on negative roles, always receiving applause and admiration for her performances.