Latest news with #Naaz
India.com
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actress entered films to escape poverty, rose to fame with Raj Kapoor's movie, and became a star as Rajesh Khanna's on-screen sister, she was...
In the grand story of Indian cinema, Kumari Naaz remains a name etched in both childhood and adulthood roles. Born on 20 August 1944 in Mumbai as Salma Beg, she entered films not out of choice but necessity. Financial struggles pushed her into acting at a tender age, and soon, Baby Naaz became a household name. How did poverty push her into films? It was her mother who decided to send her into films to ease the family's economic stress. By just four years old, Naaz was already facing the camera. Her career as a child artist flourished for a decade, where she became one of the top names of her time. Which film made Baby Naaz unforgettable? Her turning point came in 1954 with Boot Polish, produced by R.K. Films. In the movie, she played an orphan girl whose grit and charm won hearts across India. The iconic song 'Muthi Mein Hai Taqdeer Hamari' still recalls her innocence and spirit. The film was such a success that Naaz and her co-star Ratan Kumar were given a special honour at the Cannes Film Festival. How did she shine as Rajesh Khanna's on-screen sister? Although she appeared in several films like Devdas, Musafir, Ganga Jamuna, and Kaagaz Ke Phool, her most memorable adult role came in the 1970s, Saccha Jhootha. Playing Rajesh Khanna's differently-abled sister, Naa,z left audiences teary-eyed with her sensitivity. This role earned her the tag of Bollywood's 'pyari behen' (beloved sister). Did she work beyond acting? Yes. Naaz also left her mark as a dubbing artist. In the 1970s, she lent her voice to Sridevi's early Hindi films such as Himmatwala, Tohfa, and Mawaali. Her voice work was widely appreciated, adding another layer to her versatility. What about her personal life? Naaz married actor Subiraj, who was connected to Raj Kapoor's family. After marriage, she converted to Hinduism and took the name Anuradha. Despite the change, fans and the industry continued to call her 'Naaz.' The couple had two children, and their family life was largely happy. How did her story end? In her later years, Naaz suffered from a serious liver ailment. Despite the love and admiration she had earned, her life was cut short due to illness. Yet, her legacy continues through her performances — from a struggling child artist to a much-loved sister on screen.
Time of India
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
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
Parental Betrayal and Exploitation A Scandal That Split the Family A Child's Desperation to Escape An Early Decline in Stardom Bitterness Toward the Past Moments of Recognition Amid Hardship The Unfulfilled Second Act A Quiet, Lonely End A Life That Echoes a Larger Tragedy 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 chance to study or develop outside the film industry was repeatedly blocked, reinforcing the cycle that kept her financially tied to her family's 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 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 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 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 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 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.
Economic Times
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
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
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 chance to study or develop outside the film industry was repeatedly blocked, reinforcing the cycle that kept her financially tied to her family's 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 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 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 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.
Indian Express
12-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Abused by mother, Bollywood's biggest child star would be denied food after slaving all day, danced for money on stage; no one from Bollywood attended her funeral
Born Salma Baig in Mumbai in 1944, she didn't take long to become Bollywood's highest-paid child actor. The early success came with its own setbacks, and her life story remains one of the most tragic in Hindi cinema history. Salma was abused and exploited by her stage mother, who kicked her invalid husband out of their house and shacked up with married man who funded his own life with Naaz's earnings. By the age of 10, Naaz had reached the end of the rope and didn't want to live. She was 'saved' twice by her nanny. Her mother's reaction to watching her in such despair? More beatings, more emotionally abusive tirades. Like so many other child stars, Naaz didn't make it as an adult. She took to dubbing for South Indian actresses in Hindi movies. The most famous person she dubbed for was Sridevi, but when she started lending her voice to other actresses, Sridevi severed ties with her in a huff. Also read – Born out of wedlock, abandoned by father, serially abused in Bollywood, she became industry's biggest female superstar Narrating her life story, Naaz began, 'My father, Mirza Dawood Baig, was a story-writer who was not doing well in his profession. Our family had no other source of income and we were hard up for money. It was very difficult to make ends meet and so, I was made to dance on the stage for money. I used to get about a hundred rupees per show and somehow, we managed. Since I loved dancing I enjoyed it in the beginning, but I was too young to realise, that slowly and steadily the whole responsibility of earning a living was being put on my little shoulders. I never realised how and when I was trapped into being the only earning member in the family.' Naaz began working at the age of four, and realised not long afterwards that hers was not a regular childhood. 'I will never be able to for-give my mother nor forget her greed for money,' she said. Naaz was desperate to study and make something of herself. But her mother wouldn't hear of it. She even rejected Raj Kapoor's offer to send Naaz to school in Switzerland. Not only did she make Naaz slog like a workhorse, she accepted every offer that came their way. Also read – Bollywood director lost entire life's savings after one flop; daughter was forced to dance, son performed for money at beach to repay debts Naaz continued in the Stardust interview, 'I left studies, for my mother didn't stop accepting films on my behalf and my father stopped working. My mother was too used to making money out of me and didn't want to forgo this easy life. She wanted me to work for her comforts and I was both too young and in awe of my parents to refuse. There were no games, no friends, no proper sleep or food for me. Whenever I came back tired from a shooting, my parents were busy with their own problems and had no time for me. They fought with each other all the time. They didn't even realise that I had come back home and gone off to sleep without food. Even if they did, none of them even bothered to give me a glass of milk. I cannot count the times I have slept without food.' Naaz didn't blame her unwell father; she blamed her mother for becoming 'overambitious'. When Naaz became an established face in the industry, her mother began an affair with a cameraman and kicked Naaz's father out of their house. For two years, Naaz didn't see her father, and had no idea where he was. It was during this time that she starred in acclaimed films such as Boot Polish and Devdas. Her performance as a street child in Boot Polish, produced by RK Studios, even earned her a special award at the Cannes Film Festival. Read more – Legendary Bollywood music composer lived as paying guest in final years, banned family from attending funeral 'I felt choked. I wanted breathing space. I couldn't take it any more and that is when I first tried to end my life. My ayah used to tell me stories about how people ended their lives by jumping into a well. So, one day when I was all alone at home, I ran to the well. Somehow, my ayah who spotted me, ran after me and brought me home. She was the only one who cared for me. Do you know what my mother did when she heard about my attempted suicide? No, she didn't take me in her arms and cry, nor did she plead with me not to do it again. She never shed a tear, instead, that woman slapped me hard and screamed at me. I couldn't believe her reaction and it shattered me. I was more miserable than ever. Things didn't change with time. They went from bad to worse and I tried to run away from home and jump into the well again. But my ayah saved me a second time too.' Naaz lamented that even after working for three decades, she was right back where she'd started. Her parents were both dead at the time of the Stardust interview, but her career had basically ended. She found happiness after she married Subbiraj, an actor who was distantly related to the Kapoors. She started working as a dubbing artist. 'I have started compering Kalyanji-Anandji Nites here and abroad. I do occasional programmes for the Bombay Doordarshan and a lot of dubbing for some South Indian heroines like Sridevi. So does my husband. Somehow, at the back of my mind there always lingers a feeling that one day a break will come. I'll get a chance again, when I will be able to prove that I was not just a fluke. I don't know when I'll get the name and fame again, but I'll keep trying…' she trailed off. Read more – Patriarch of iconic Bollywood family abandoned his son, forced second family to live in secrecy for decades, went blind in his final days But it was not to be. Naaz died at the age of 51, after suffering from a chronic liver ailment. Her husband said that she would chew tobacco constantly. She fell into a coma in her final days, and passed away peacefully. Filmmaker and journalist Khalid Mohammed wrote in an article for the Daily Eye that no one from the film industry attended her funeral.
Time of India
03-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
The challenges for housing colonies with single mentally ill residents
The challenges for housing colonies with single mentally ill residents Malathy IyerVijay Singh TNN Updated: May 3, 2025, 16:32 IST IST What to do with mentally ill residents living alone? This is the ethical and legal problem that Mumbai's gated communities are grappling with while handling complaints of residents with schizophrenia flooding homes, suffering violent outbursts or wandering around naked. Mumbai : When sludge started flowing down a few walls and a portion of the ceiling in the living room collapsed, the ground-floor Mehtas (name changed) asked their housing society in Parel to check with the resident on the first floor who was unresponsive to them. What the inspection team found was baffling: the first-floor flat seemed like one big mud puddle, with patches of mold and dirt stains in different rooms. And, every few minutes, the 50-plus owner Naaz threw water across the room. Naaz had clearly not bathed or brushed for weeks, but the dirt on the floors bothered her so much that she frequently 'washed' it with water, causing structural problems for the Mehtas downstairs.
