Zohra Sehgal

Biography:

Zohra Mumtaz Sehgal was an Indian actress, dancer, and choreographer. She was born Sahibzadi Zohra Mumtazullah Khan Begum and lived from 27 April 1912 to 10 July 2014. His parents were Mumtazullah Khan and Natiqua Begum.

She was raised as the third of seven children—Zakullah, Hajrah, Ikramullah, Uzra (Uzra Butt), Amina, and Sabra—in a traditional Muslim family in Chakrata, which is now in Uttarakhand. Sehgal identified as a tomboy who liked to play outside games and climb trees. At the age of one, she developed glaucoma, which caused her to lose eyesight in her left eye.

She was referred to a Birmingham hospital, where she received treatment for £300. She started out in the business as a member of a contemporary dance company before moving into acting in the 1940s. Over the course of his eight decades-long career, Sehgal made appearances in a number of Bollywood productions, TV series, and British films.

Afsar (1946), Neecha Nagar, Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Dil Se.. (1998), Saaya (2003), Veer-Zara (2004), Saawariya and Cheeni Kum (2007), and TV serials The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Tandoori Nights (1985–87), and Amma and Family (1996) are among Sehgal’s most well-known motion pictures.

She portrayed the lead role in the 2002 movie Chalo Ishq Ladaaye at the age of 90. She performed for 14 years with both Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theatre and the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA), earning her the title of doyenne of Indian theater.

In addition to receiving the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Kalidas Samman in 2001, Sehgal was also honored with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime accomplishment in 2004—the highest honor given by the Sangeet Natak Akademi, the Indian National Academy for Music, Dance, and Drama.

The second-highest civilian award in India, the Padma Vibhushan, was given to her in 2010. She had a heart arrest on July 10, 2014, and passed away in a hospital in New Delhi.