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Time of India
3 days ago
- 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
3 days ago
- 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
28-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Raj Kapoor was reduced to dust after making Mera Naam Joker, spiralled into debt,' says Mahesh Bhatt: ‘Those were very trying times for him'
Veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has given several iconic films to Hindi cinema. In his 51-year-long career in the Hindi film industry, the filmmaker says he has come to understand that 'success is a fluke and failure is guaranteed' in the movie business. To illustrate his point, he cited the example of Raj Kapoor's career. In an interaction on The Himanshu Mehta Show, Mahesh recalled how Raj Kapoor went broke trying to bankroll his now-iconic film Mera Naam Joker (1970), but the film bombed at the box office. However, he eventually received his due three years later with Bobby, which saw immense success at the box office. He said, 'Raj Kapoor was reduced to dust when he made Mera Naam Joker, but the same Raj Kapoor when he made Bobby, the whole nation came to make him successful because they in a way felt guilty for seeing such a great filmmaker spiral into economic debt. Those were very trying times for him, and that is the same time I joined films. I have seen him in those vulnerable times. Failure is very difficult to take in our business.' Mahesh Bhatt went on to talk about his conversation with the late legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra and how they both agreed on the importance of speaking more openly about failures with their juniors. He recalled, 'I was talking to Yash Chopra about what we need to talk to a junior about — the certainty of failure. If you want to be in this business, you have to be certain that you will fail more often than succeed. Success is a fluke, failure is guaranteed, and yet you have to keep on going.' In an old interaction with Filmy Charcha, veteran actor Raza Murad also recalled an instance after Mera Naam Joker and how distributors abandoned Raj Kapoor. He shared, 'After Mera Naam Joker, he was in tremendous debt. Things got so bad that distributors refused to buy Bobby without seeing it first. These were the same people who were once desperate to secure the rights to his movies. But after Mera Naam Joker, everything changed. He refused to show them the movie, but he agreed to show them the songs.' Prem Chopra, who was a part of Bobby, had earlier spoken to Lehren about how Raj Kapoor had to sell everything after Mera Naam Joker. 'Raj Kapoor was finished! Unka sab kuch bik gaya (He was compelled to sell everything he had). Mera Naam Joker failed miserably at the box office. Raj saab was under a tremendous financial crisis. He not only mortgaged RK Studios but also had to sell off his family properties, but he didn't give up on his love for filmmaking,' he had said. However, he had the vision to come back with Bobby starring Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia. 'He made this beautiful film (Bobby) which I was also part of. It went on to become a massive success and two new stars were born — Rishi and Dimple. However, during the making of Bobby, it didn't feel he had encountered such a massive failure and continued making it with an equal amount of passion and love,' Chopra had said.
Time of India
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Rishi Kapoor felt embarrassed watching himself on screen after gaining weight: 'My name is not there among the top...'
Actor Rishi Kapoor , known for his charismatic roles, once talked about feeling bored of doing movies and portraying romantic characters on screen. The actor revealed that he decided to quit acting and try directing movies after feeling tired of his young roles. He had to return all the money he received from producers after turning down each and every movie he had signed as an actor. Rishi Kapoor about feeling tired of romantic roles In an old interview with Firstpost, Rishi shared that he usually switches the channel if he comes across any of his movies: 'I am embarrassed watching myself on screen. I don't know if there is an opposite word for narcissist… but that's how I feel watching my films. I can admire my physical self as an actor, but not my body of work,' he said. Neetu Kapoor shares vintage picture with late husband Rishi Kapoor Rishi Kapoor's dark shaded role in Angeepath In Agneepath, Rishi did not play a romantic role but showcased a dark, intense character. Kapoor held no bitterness over the trajectory of his long-spanning career. 'I've no regrets in my life – even though my name is not there among the top names. I didn't wait for stardom – Bobby was an instant hit in 1973 and it was after that, that I had to struggle to match its success. I've been working for 25 years as a leading star from 1973 to 1998, after which I got bored, gained weight and felt I couldn't compete with the younger lot,' he added. Rishi Kapoor directing movies after his hiatus After a brief hiatus, Kapoor returned to the industry. He gave the money back to filmmakers and sat at home for three months. He decided to direct Aa Ab Laut Chalein with Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan and Akshaye Khanna. It was Ajay and Veeru Devgn who reignited his interest in acting with roles in Khatti Meethi and Raju Chacha. Rishi Kapoor's way to the industry Rishi's passion for acting began long before his official debut. Although he entered films as a teenager with Mera Naam Joker at the age of 16, his uncle, Shashi Kapoor , was the first to recognise his interest when he saw the young Rishi mimicking expressions and drawing fake moustaches with pencils. He was often seen loitering around RK Studios before becoming a performer. He recalled failing his English exam during Senior Cambridge after mistakenly writing 14 foolscap sheets for a précis, which led to his papers being marked down under the British evaluation system. Rishi was encouraged by his father, legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor , to join him as an assistant director on Kal Aaj Aur Kal. This behind-the-scenes experience eventually paved the way for his acting debut.
Time of India
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Raza Murad says distributors who once begged for Raj Kapoor's films refused to buy Bobby without seeing it after Mera Naam Joker flop: 'He was in tremendous debt'
Raj Kapoor 's magnum opus Mera Naam Joker may have become a cult classic over time, but at the time of its release, the four-hour-long epic left the legendary actor-filmmaker in financial ruin. The film took six years to make and failed at the box office, putting Kapoor in a position where he was forced to rebuild the trust of an industry that had once revered him. In an interview with Filmy Charcha, veteran actor Raza Murad , who frequently collaborated with Kapoor, reflected on the aftermath of Mera Naam Joker's failure and how it impacted the making of Bobby . 'After Mera Naam Joker, he was in tremendous debt,' Murad said. 'Things got so bad that distributors refused to buy Bobby without seeing it first. These were the same people who were once desperate to secure the rights to his movies. But after Mera Naam Joker, everything changed.' Raj Kapoor wouldn't drink until his films got a censor certificate Despite being hailed early in his career and often compared to Orson Welles, Kapoor's subsequent films faced the burden of great expectations. Murad described him as a deeply passionate filmmaker who sacrificed everything, his time, his health, and even his family, for cinema. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo 'He loved his drinks and meat, but he would quit before getting a censor certificate,' Murad recalled. 'He would become absolutely consumed by films. He had the mind of a 14-year-old. He would fall ill a week before his film's release because he would be so tense about its reception. He was aware that his reputation was at stake. It wasn't about the money. He would put everything on the line.' When Raj Kapoor cheated on wife Krishna Raj Kapoor Raj Kapoor was a Shiva devotee and musical genius Raj Kapoor, who founded the iconic RK Studios and helped define post-Independence Indian cinema, was also deeply spiritual, Murad said. 'He was a devotee of Lord Shiva, and frequently referenced the Ganga in his films.' The actor also recalled Kapoor's exceptional musical instincts: 'He could play any musical instrument under the sun without practice.' Faced with skepticism from distributors during Bobby, Kapoor stood his ground. He reportedly refused to show them the full film but eventually agreed to show the songs to generate confidence. With Bobby, Raj Kapoor not only revived his fortunes but also launched his son Rishi Kapoor into stardom, proving once again why he was called 'The Showman' of Indian cinema.
