NIMMI, doe-eyed ex-Bollywood star, is no more

Eminent film maker-actor Raj Kapoor fans cannot forget Agra born Nawab Banoo , more noted as her screen name NIMMI, who enthralled movie-goers in the  1950s and ’60s Hindi movies such as ‘Aan’, ‘Barsaat’ and ‘Deedar’.She passed away in Mumbai hospital on Wednesday, March 25 aged 88 after remaining in oblivion for years. The actor was brought to a suburban Juhu hospital after she complained of breathlessness. Nimmi was buried at a cemetery in Reay Road in Mumbai on Thursday. She was unwell for quite some time. She had been in and out of hospital this year. Rishi Kapoor, son of Raj Kapor, tweets RIP. Thank you Nimmi aunty for all the blessings and love for Bobby on its premiere release. You were part of the RK family. Barsaat was your first film. Allha aapko  Jannat naseeb kare. Ameen.Raj Kapoor had renamed as ‘Nimmi.He had spotted her as a shy teen on the sets of his film ‘Andaz’.Raj Kapoor cast her as the second lead in ‘Barsaat’ in 1949. The film had three popular songs — ‘Barsaat me hamse mile tum’, ‘Hawa me udta jaye’ and ‘Meri Patli qamar hai’ — picturised on her. After the success of ‘Barsaat’, there was no turning back for Nimmi.’’ As CELEBRATRYBORN WHO WORTH THEIR BIRTH says Nimmi was one of the most elegant and stylish of Hindi cinema during the 1950s. She was among the top stars of her time. She was initially stereotyped in village girl roles but soon started appearing in contemporary roles and is considered as of the initial female stars of Bollywood. Her underlying eroticism and expressive eyes made her an audience’s best-loved. Apart from Aan, Aandhiyan, Saza, Deedar, Barsaat, Kundan, Daag, Amar, Bhai-Bhai and Uran Khatola are among her famous works. Her lead role in the film Aan is arguably the best and most iconic character she played in her illustrious career. Her role was brief and when financers came to know about it, they objected it and the filmmakers were forced to extend her role. Her on-screen death sequence became very popular with the viewers. Aan was also among the first Bollywood film to get a worldwide release and the film was premiered grandly in London. While in London, she met several western film personalities and when Errol Flynn tried to kiss her, she backed off and said ‘’I am an Indian Girl, you cannot do that!’’. This incident made the headlines in the UK then and she was given a befitting title, “The unkissed girl of India” by the UK media’’.