As we celebrated the 82nd birth anniversary of the mercurial and majestic Nadira on December 5, Mahesh Bhatt got nostalgic. “Roses bloom and fade,” he said. “They fill the air with their perfume, then quietly wither, leaving behind an ageless truth—the startling beauty of impermanence. When I think of Nadira, this truth glows in my mind like the last light of a dying day. She was the kind of woman who carried the aura of a crumbling cathedral—grand, haunting, and unapologetically defiant against time. I had the privilege of working with her in TamannaPooja Bhatt’s first production. It was a bold story about a transgender named Tikku, played brilliantly by Paresh Rawal, and his relationship with a has-been star, Nazneen Begum, played by Nadira.”
Mahesh Bhatt on Nadira, “She was the kind of woman who carried the aura of a crumbling cathedral”
Mahesh Bhatt recalls his first meeting with the actress when he went to sign her for Tamanaa“I remember the day I visited her desolate home near Breach Candy,” he said. “The air itself seemed soaked in emptiness, mourning the life it once held. When she opened the door, she studied me with a bemused look and said, ‘Oh, so it’s you—the angry young man of Bollywood! What could you possibly want from me, a has-been actress?’”
“’I want you to do a role for me,’ I said. She threw her head back, her laughter tinged with both scorn and sadness. ‘You must be kidding!’ she said. ‘I’m not,’ I said. ‘We’re shooting just for two nights. Please, come.’ Her gaze narrowed as she asked, ‘Why me?’”
“I said, ‘Because I need your face. Your beauty—the beauty that remains, and the beauty that was. There’s something marvelous about crumbling structures that were once magnificent.’”
“She smiled faintly and said. ‘I’m very difficult to manage.’ ‘And I’ll manage the unmanageable,’ I replied.”
“She said, ‘I’ll cost you a lot of money.’ I said, ‘We’ll pay you, madam,’ I said.”
“As I turned to leave, I hesitated. ‘Could you bring me a photograph of yourself? One from your younger days. Maybe from AanShe stiffened. ‘That’s my property,’ she said. ‘I don’t give it to anyone.’
“’I just need it for the opening shot,’ I explained. ‘Your younger self, followed by your face in the mirror. The contrast—the story it tells—is breathtaking.’ She studied me for a long moment. ‘Oh, you want to show this withered me and juxtapose it with that gorgeous me,’ she said. ‘That’s right, madam,’ I said, holding her gaze.”
“She finally resigned. ‘Alright, I’ll bring it. But only for the shoot, and I’m taking it back. And one more thing: that’ll cost you chicken sandwiches from the Taj, with extra mustard sauce. Which I will take back home after the shoot.’”
When Nadira arrived, it was magic. “She brought that haunting photograph, her defiance, and her brilliance. She performed with a grace that pierced through the camera lens. When she sang ‘Shab ke jaage huye, taaro ko neend aane lagi’ in Anu Malik’s melody, the moment was transcendent. She poured herself into the scene, leaving a piece of her soul in every frame,” said Bhatt.
He added, “When Nadira passed away, I remember her funeral—a poorly attended affair at the Marine Lines Crematorium. There was only Gulzar Sahib and a handful of others. Has-been stars don’t get grand farewells. The world forgets too easily. But not me. I will never forget her. She was a rose that withered with astonishing grace, leaving behind a fragrance that lingers still. Her life, her presence, and her final performance in Tamanna will forever echo the startling beauty of impermanence.”
Also Read: “Yeh Kaali Kaali Ankhein feels like a tribute to Shah Rukh Khan’s fearless spirit,” says Tahir Raj Bhasin
More Pages: Tamanna Box Office Collection
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