Once Bollywood's highest paid child star, started working at age 4, was abused by her mother, passed away at only 51. Nobody from Bollywood attended her funeral

Economic Times

18 hours ago

Synopsis
Naaz, a celebrated child actor in Hindi cinema, faced exploitation and turmoil despite early fame. Her mother's ambition overshadowed her childhood, forcing her into relentless work to support the family.
Agencies
Salma Baig, who would later gain fame under the screen name Naaz, entered the world in Mumbai in 1944. Records from various film archives indicate that she rose with remarkable speed to become one of the most in-demand child performers in Hindi cinema, commanding the highest remuneration in her field at the time. Yet, behind this rapid ascent to stardom lay a life marked by deep personal struggles that accompanied her early success. Salma Baig, later known by her screen name Naaz, was born in Mumbai in 1944. According to multiple film archives, she quickly became one of Hindi cinema's most sought-after child actors, earning the highest pay in her category. While fame came early, it also brought profound personal turmoil. As chronicled in Stardust magazine, Naaz's career and childhood were shaped—and scarred—by her mother's exploitation. The young actress's father, Mirza Dawood Baig, was a struggling story writer whose inconsistent income left the family in financial hardship. Naaz was pushed onto the stage at the tender age of four, earning around a hundred rupees per performance, a sum that became the family's main source of survival.Naaz initially enjoyed dancing, unaware that she was gradually being turned into the sole breadwinner of the household. The same Stardust interview records her recollection of how quickly her passion was transformed into an unrelenting obligation, stripping her of the carefree childhood other children took for granted.
Naaz openly stated in Stardust that her resentment was not directed toward her ailing father, but toward her mother, whose ambitions became all-consuming. She recalled her mother's refusal of Raj Kapoor's generous offer to send her to school in Switzerland, instead choosing to keep Naaz working continuously. Offers from major studios were accepted without question, ensuring there was no break in her shooting schedule.Naaz described her home life as devoid of affection or basic care. Even after working exhausting four-shift days, she would return to parents embroiled in their own disputes, indifferent to her needs. She repeatedly mentioned in interviews that she went to bed hungry countless times, without even a glass of milk, despite the fact that her earnings supported the entire household.As per Naaz's account to Stardust , when her career as a child star began to flourish, her mother entered a relationship with a cameraman and forced her husband out of the family home. For two years, Naaz had no contact with her father and no knowledge of his whereabouts. During this period, she appeared in acclaimed films such as Boot Polish—produced by RK Studios—which earned her a special honor at the Cannes Film Festival, and Devdas, alongside leading stars of the time, including Dilip Kumar and Nargis.She worked with a host of Bollywood icons, from Raj Kapoor to Asha Parekh. However, these professional successes stood in stark contrast to the emotional isolation she experienced behind the scenes.The depth of Naaz's despair emerged in her recollections of two separate suicide attempts during childhood, both prevented by her ayah (nanny). In her words to Stardust, she had learned from her nanny's stories that people sometimes ended their lives by jumping into a well. Feeling suffocated by her circumstances, she ran toward the well on two occasions, only to be stopped each time by her caretaker.Her mother's reaction to the first attempt was not compassion but rage. Instead of consoling her, she slapped Naaz and berated her. This response deepened Naaz's hopelessness, leaving her convinced that her suffering was invisible to the one person who should have protected her.Like many child actors, Naaz struggled to transition into adult roles. She shifted her focus to voice dubbing for South Indian actresses in Hindi films, including Sridevi, as reported in industry profiles. However, tensions arose when Naaz began dubbing for other leading ladies, prompting Sridevi to cut professional ties with her. Despite the setback, Naaz persisted, lending her voice to numerous performers and working in television programming, including special broadcasts for Bombay Doordarshan.Her husband, actor Subbiraj—who was distantly related to the Kapoor family—was also active in dubbing work. Naaz often accompanied him on stage shows such as Kalyanji-Anandji musical events, both in India and abroad. She told Stardust that she still hoped for one more big opportunity to reclaim the fame she once had, believing that her talent had been underestimated.In interviews, Naaz was candid about her unresolved resentment toward her mother and the man she had an affair with, accusing them of using her earnings for their personal gain. She revealed that the man married off all three of his daughters with the money she had earned through grueling workdays. This financial and emotional exploitation left her with no savings and no stability, despite decades in the industry.While her personal life was turbulent, Naaz's work in Boot Polish remained a career highlight. According to film historian records, her portrayal of a resilient street child captured the hearts of audiences and critics alike, and the Cannes recognition brought international attention. Yet, even these accolades could not alter the trajectory of her personal circumstances, as her mother continued to control her income and deny her education.Her chance to study or develop outside the film industry was repeatedly blocked, reinforcing the cycle that kept her financially tied to her family's survival.Naaz admitted in her Stardust conversation that, even after 30 years in the business, she was financially and professionally in the same place she had been at the start. She expressed hope that one day she might be recognized again, this time for her skill rather than her childhood fame. Unfortunately, that break never came.While she remained active in smaller projects and continued dubbing, the glory days of working alongside Bollywood's biggest names were long gone. Her later life was far from the security or recognition that many might have assumed a former child star would enjoy.Naaz's final years were marked by declining health. According to her husband's account, she was a habitual tobacco chewer, a practice that contributed to her chronic liver disease. Her condition worsened until she slipped into a coma, passing away in 1995 at the age of 51.
In a poignant detail shared by filmmaker and journalist Khalid Mohammed in The Daily Eye , not a single member of the film fraternity attended her funeral. The woman who had once shared the screen with cinema legends was laid to rest without the presence of the industry that had once celebrated her. Naaz's story is not just a personal tragedy—it mirrors the fate of many child actors in Indian cinema whose early fame is built on the exploitation of their innocence and talent. Her career, documented in sources like Stardust and The Daily Eye, reveals the stark gap between public perception and private suffering. While audiences saw her as a smiling, spirited performer, behind the scenes she endured neglect, emotional abuse, and relentless pressure to provide for a family that gave little in return.Her journey—from a bright star in Boot Polish to a lonely figure in the dubbing studio—remains one of Bollywood's most sobering cautionary tales.