CNN-IBN

Mumbai, Feb 9: Veteran yesteryear actress Nadira died of a cardiac seizure at her Mumbai residence on Wednesday. She was 73.

Nadira had been ill for quite some time and was admitted to the Bhatia Hospital in Mumbai a few weeks ago after a paralytic stroke. She was also suffering from other complications and had been in coma, doctors said.

A Jew by religion, Nadira stayed alone in a flat in south Mumbai. Nadira is best remembered for her memorable portrayal of the Hindi cinema's vamp during the 1950s and 60s.

The funeral will be held on Thursday evening, former president of Cine Artistes Association and fellow actor Chandrashekhar said.

Nadira made her foray in the film industry in the 1950s with the film Aan.

The lovable vamp

Nadira was a Jew from Baghdad who hit the Bollywood big-time with remarkable performances in such films like Hanste Zakhm, Amar Akbar Anthony and Pakeezah among others.

More often that not, she was cast as the immoral woman, the temptress, and she became popular for her westernized looks.

Her arched eyebrow was arguably her most marked feature. She first appeared on screen opposite Dilip Kumar in Mehboob Khan's "Aan", and then went on to act in more than 50 films in a career spanning close to five decades.

Of course, her most memorable performance will always remain the Raj Kapoor's Shree 420 where she played Maya, the high-flying socialite so impressed by the protagonist's sleight of hand that she sets him off on the road to corruption.

The actor continued to work well into her fifties and sixties, occasionally taking on the small but memorable role in such films as the Sridevi starrer Chaalbaaz, Mahesh Bhatt's eunuch story Tamanna, Merchant-Ivory production Cotton Mary and Ramesh Sippy's Saagar.

From being one of the first actresses who owned a Rolls Royce in her hey-day, Nadira eventually became a recluse who very few friends called on.

Her closest ally in Bollywood was actress Nimmi with whom she always shared a warm relationship. Nadira will be always be remembered by fans as the most stylish vamp of the silver screen.