Mother was tawaif, daughter became heroine of a superstar, rejected big film due to intimate scenes, one mistake ruined her career, later she…, her name was…

Actress Nimmi, reigned over the film industry between 1949 to 1965 with memorable films like Barsaat, Aan Udan Khatola, Basant Bahar Mere Mehboob, Love and God and more. Born on 18 February in 1933, her mother Waheeda Bano was an actress and courtesan and her father Abdul Hakim was a big contractor. However, when Nimmi was 11, she lost her mother. Later, the actress went to Abbottabad to live with her maternal grandparents.

After 1947 partition, Nimmi moved to Mumbai with her family. She shared a close bond with director Mehoob Khan, who once invited her to the sets of film Andaz to give her glimpse into the filmmaking process.

During this time, Nimmi met Raj Kapoor, who was planning to direct Barsaat, and was in a search of a young heroine. As soon as he saw Nimmi, he immediately cast her opposite Prem Nath. Nimi’s journey to films began with Barsaat and she became an overnight sensation after giving a spectacular performance in her debut film.

Nimmi’s performances were widely appreciated over the years and audiences eagerly looked forward to watch her more on-screen. Interestingly, she became one of the highest-paid actress of her era. The actress herself revealed that she used to charge Rs 3 lakh per film, which was on par with the top male stars of the time.

According to reports, Nimmi was once offered a Hollywood film, but she rejected it due to intimate scenes. She starred in several notable films and worked with superstars like Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, Dilip Kumar and more.

At the peak, she made a significant career misstep, when offered Mere Mehoob. Intially, she was chosen to play the lead role, but insisted to play the second lead- Rajendra Kumar’s sister. Director wasn’t convinced with her decision and she got later replaced with actress Sadhana Shivdasani. The film became a blockbuster success, rising Sadhana’s career to new heights, while Nimmi gradually began to fade from the limelight.

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