Nargis Rabadi (24 April 1929 – 6 March 2018), better known by her
stage name
A stage name is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. Such professional aliases are adopted for a wide variety of reasons and they may be similar, or nearly identical, to an individu ...
Shammi, was an Indian actress who appeared in over two hundred
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
films.
Shammi remained a sought-after actress with filmmakers when it came to goofy and comic roles, especially in the period 1949–1969 and later from 1980–2002. Her famous films as supporting actress included ''
Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai
''Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai'' () is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, produced by S. A. Bagar. It was written and directed by Kishore Sahu. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari and Nadira (actress), Nadira as leads. The film te ...
'', ''
Half Ticket'', ''
Halaku'', ''
Samaj Ko Badal Dalo
''Samaj Ko Badal Dalo'' () is a 1970 Bollywood drama film directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. The film stars Parikshit Sahni, Sharada (reprising the latter's role from the original version and making this picture as her Hindi film debut), Prem C ...
'', ''
Khuda Gawah
''Khuda Gawah'' (, also translated and released as ''God Is My Witness'') is a 1992 Indian epic drama film written and directed by Mukul S. Anand. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Nagarjuna, Sridevi, Shilpa Shirodkar, Danny Denzongpa, Kiran Kuma ...
'', ''
Coolie No. 1'', ''
Gopi Kishan
''Gopi Kishan'' is 1994 Indian Hindi action comedy movie directed by Mukesh Duggal starring Sunil Shetty in a dual role, supported by Shilpa Shirodkar and Karishma Kapoor. Other cast includes Suresh Oberoi, Aruna Irani, Mohan Joshi, Shammi, Sa ...
'' and ''
Hum Saath Saath Hain
''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'' () is a 1999 Indian Hindi-language family drama film written and directed by Sooraj Barjatya under the production and distribution of Rajshri Productions. The film stars Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, S ...
'' and films with
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
like ''
The Train'', ''
Aanchal'', ''
Kudrat
''Kudrat'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language drama film, written and directed by Chetan Anand. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini, supported by Raaj Kumar, Priya Rajvansh and Vinod Khanna. This is the second movie of the Rajesh Kh ...
'', ''
Red Rose'', ''
Awara Baap
''Awara Baap'' is a 1985 Bollywood film starring Rajesh Khanna in the title role, directed by Sohanlal Kanwar.
Plot
Raj is the only son of the rich man Seth Gopal Das. His childhood and teenage years were very lonely as his mother died when ...
'' and ''
Swarg
''Swarg'' () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by David Dhawan, released in 1990. It stars Rajesh Khanna, Govinda, Juhi Chawla, Madhavi in lead roles. Swarg is the fourth last certified hit of Rajesh Khanna, as this was follo ...
''. She had been a leading actress playing main female lead or second female lead in Hindi films between 1949–1955 as well. Later, from 1986 till 1998, she appeared in many popular television serials such as ''
Dekh Bhai Dekh
''Dekh Bhai Dekh'' ) is an Indian Hindi sitcom which premiered on DD Metro on 6 May 1993. It was created, developed, edited, directed by Anand Mahendroo and produced by Jaya Bachchan under the banner of Saraswati Audio Visuals Pvt Ltd. It star ...
'', ''Zabaan Sambhal Ke'', ''Shriman Shrimati'', ''Kabhi Yeh Kabhi Woh'' and ''Filmi Chakkar''. Shammi is the younger sister of fashion designer Mani Rabadi.
Early life
Rabadi was born in 1929 in
Bombay
Mumbai (, ; also known as Bombay — the official name until 1995) is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the ''de facto'' financial centre of India. According to the United Nations, as of 2018, Mumbai is the second- ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. Her father was a priest in an
agyari
A fire temple, Agiary, Atashkadeh ( fa, آتشکده), Atashgah () or Dar-e Mehr () is the place of worship for the followers of Zoroastrianism, the ancient religion of Iran (Persia).
In the Zoroastrian religion, fire (see ''atar''), together wi ...
(Parsi fire temple) and died when she was around three years old. After her father's death, her mother used to cook food at all the religious functions organized by the Parsi community to earn money. Rabadi had an elder sister Mani Rabadi, who was a fashion designer and worked extensively with many actresses as their dress designer in Hindi films between 1967 and 1994. Her mother's younger sister lived with her. They stayed in
Tata Blocks in
Parel
Parel (ISO: Paraḷ, pronunciation: əɾəɭ is a neighbourhood of Mumbai. Parel used to have a number of textile mills, but these have been replaced by commercial office space development.
History
Originally, Parel was a separate island, ...
, South Mumbai in 1930–47 period. Her sister joined Johnson and Johnson as a secretary after completing her secondary school education.
In 1942,
Johnson and Johnson
Johnson & Johnson (J&J) is an American multinational corporation founded in 1886 that develops medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company i ...
manufactured tablets and Rabadi was employed in the packing department. Her job was to collect the tablets that were not sealed in the tablet case, and had fallen off from the machine. She had to put them into big bottles which would go to hospitals for free distribution to patients. She was paid Rs 100 per month for doing this job.
Career
Shammi got into films by chance. A family friend was very friendly with actor and producer
Sheikh Mukhtar
Sheikh Mukhtar was the son of Chaudhry Ashfaq Ahmed (who was a railway police inspector and born in Karachi, British India; now Pakistan) Chaudhary Ashfaq Ahmed intentionally got transferred and migrated to Delhi. Sheikh Mukhtar was born on 24 ...
. At that time, Mukhtar was looking for an actress for the second lead, in a film he was to start with
Begum Para
Begum Para (née Zubeda Ul Haq; 25 December 1926 – 9 December 2008) was an Indian Hindi film actress who was active mostly in the 1940s and 1950s. After almost 50 years of absence in the industry, she returned to films with her last role in ...
as the main
female lead
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
. He got her to meet Sheikh Mukhtar. Mukhtar was concerned about her
Hindi
Hindi (Devanāgarī: or , ), or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi (Devanagari: ), is an Indo-Aryan language spoken chiefly in the Hindi Belt region encompassing parts of northern, central, eastern, and western India. Hindi has been de ...
-speaking skills as she was a Parsi. Shammi immediately told a worried Sheikh that she would be talking with him in Hindi and that he should point out any flaw if he was able to find any. Sheikh Mukhtar was impressed with her. The next day, she was called to Mahalaxmi studios for her
screen test
A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...
. She was advised by director Tara Harish to change her name to "Shammi" as there was another actress named Nargis in the industry. Her monthly salary was Rs 500. She was asked to sign a three-year contract with a condition that she couldn't work outside without their permission. She was just 18 when she signed for her first film, ''
Ustad Pedro
Ustād or ostād (abbreviated as Ust., Ut. or Ud.; from Persian ) is an honorific title used in West Asia, North Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia. It is used in various languages such as Persian, , Azerbaijani, Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, Marathi ...
'', in January 1949. ''Ustad Pedro'' had Sheikh Mukhtar opposite Begum Para and Mukri as the comedian and it was directed by Tara Harish and this Begum Para-Sheikh Mukhtar starrer was a hit film at the box office in 1949.
She had to attend the studio every day and practice acting even when she had no shoot. Shammi had to read dialogues of other films and Harish, the film's director taught her a lot of things since he was an actor himself. Harish was directing another film produced by
Mukesh Mukesh is an epithet for the Hindu god Shiva, and literally means "conqueror of the Muka demon". It also means god of 3 worlds, heaven, hell & earth, which in turn represents Hindu god Shiva. It is commonly used as a male given name in India. Peopl ...
, called ''
Malhar
"Malhar" is a Hindustani classical raga. Malhar is associated with torrential rains.
Besides the basic Shuddha Malhar, which was the original Malhar, several Malhar-related ragas use the Malhar signature phrase m (m)R (m)R P, including "Miyan ...
''. Shammi was given the main lead in that film. Since the director was the same, Shammi was allowed to work outside the Sheikh Mukthar banner. She got good reviews for ''Malhar''. The movie's music was also a hit. 'Malhar' made Shammi a star. Shammi was financially stable now, so they shifted to
Bandra
Bandra (Indian English, æːɳɖɾa also known as Vandre (Help:IPA/Marathi, aːn̪d̪ɾe is an upscale coastal suburb located in Mumbai (Bombay) area of the Konkan division, Maharashtra, India. The suburb is located to the immediate nor ...
. During the shooting of ''Malhar'', she met
Nargis Dutt
Nargis Dutt (born Fatima Rashid; 1 June 1929 – 3 May 1981) was an Indian actress and politician who worked in Hindi cinema. Regarded as one of the greatest actresses in the history of Indian cinema, she made her screen debut in a minor role ...
through the latter's mother Jaddan bai. They became good friends. Nargis was one of her best friends and later, because of their friendship she got a supporting role in the film ''Miss India''. She quoted in an interview "Nargis was the first actor to be paid Rs 1 lakh; even
Dilip Kumar
Mohammed Yusuf Khan (; 11 December 1922 – 7 July 2021), better known by his stage name Dilip Kumar, was an Indian actor who worked in Hindi cinema. Credited with pioneering method acting in cinema, he dominated the Indian movie scene from lat ...
did not get that kind of money then. It was the talk of the industry. Actors like me who did supporting roles would get anything around Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000."
Her third film with Dilip Kumar and
Madhubala
Madhubala (born Mumtaz Jehan Begum Dehlavi; 14 February 1933 – 23 February 1969) was an Indian actress and producer who worked in Hindi-language films. She ranked as one of the highest-paid entertainers in India in the post-independence era, ...
, called ''
Sangdil
''Sangdil'' () is a 1952 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film directed by R. C. Talwar. The film is an adaptation of the 1847 Charlotte Brontë classic novel ''Jane Eyre'' and it stars Dilip Kumar, Madhubala in lead roles. The film's musi ...
''. The movie was released late in 1952 and was only a moderate success. Since ''Sangdil'' was unpopular with audience, she did not get work for seven months. Shammi started off by playing the main lead or second lead in films, but after ''Sangdil'', she had to accept whatever work came to her. She acted as a vamp in few such films. She quoted in an interview: "Many people scolded me when I did that but I was clear in my mind that I had to work. Sitting at home would not help me since I was the breadwinner of the family." She got roles as the leading heroine opposite heroes such as
Mahipal
Mahipal (1919 -2005) was an Indian actor who worked in bollywood mostly in stunt films like ''Parasmani, Zabak, Cobra Girl, Jantar Mantar, Arabian nights themed movies such as Alibaba and 40 Thieves, Aladdin Aur Jadui Chirag, Roop Lekha, Sune ...
, Manhar Desai and
Karan Dewan
Karan Dewan (born Dewan Karan Chopra; 6 November 1917 - 2 August 1979) was an Indian cinema actor in Hindi films. He worked in over seventy films from 1941 to 1979. He started as a journalist while still in college, editing a film-based magazin ...
. After release of
K. Asif's hit film ''Musafirkhana'', she was flooded with similar roles. Her role opposite comedian
Johnny Walker was appreciated in this film.
Some of her successful movies as supporting actress in this period were ''Ilzam'' (1954), ''Pehli Jhalak'' (1955), ''
Bandish
Bandish, cheez or gat is a fixed, melodic composition in Hindustani vocal or instrumental music. It is set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic accompaniment by a tabla or pakhawaj, a steady drone, and melodic accompaniment by a sarangi, vi ...
'' (1955), ''
Azaad'' (1955), ''
Halaku'' (1956), ''
Son of Sinbad
''Son of Sinbad'' is a 1955 American adventure film directed by Ted Tetzlaff. It takes place in the Middle East and consists of a wide variety of characters, including over 127 women.
The film was shot in 1953 and planned to be released in 3D ...
'' (1955), ''
Raj Tilak'' (1958), ''
Khazanchi'' (1958), ''
Ghar Sansar
''Ghar Sansar'' () is a 1986 Indian Hindi-language drama film, produced by Vimal Kumar under the Shivam Chitrya banner and directed by K. Bapayya. It stars Jeetendra, Sridevi and music composed by Rajesh Roshan. The film is remake of the Telug ...
'' (1958), ''Aakhiri Dao'' (1958), ''
Kangan'' (1959), ''
Bhai-Bahen'' (1959) and ''
Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai
''Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai'' () is a 1960 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film, produced by S. A. Bagar. It was written and directed by Kishore Sahu. The film stars Raaj Kumar, Meena Kumari and Nadira (actress), Nadira as leads. The film te ...
'' (1960). The rest of her films released from 1952 to 1960 were deemed as commercial failures. In the period 1962 to 1970, her comedy and vamp roles made an impact in successful films such as ''
Half Ticket'', ''Ishaara'', ''
Jab Jab Phool Khile
''Jab Jab Phool Khile'' () is a 1965 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film. It stars Shashi Kapoor and Nanda. The story is of a poor boy who is a boatman in Kashmir and falls in love with a rich tourist. The film became a "blockbuster" at t ...
'', ''
Preet Na Jane Reet'', ''Aamne - Saamne'',
Upkar
''Upkar'' () is a 1967 Indian Hindi film directed by Manoj Kumar. The film held the top spot at the box office in 1967. It was Manoj Kumar's directorial debut film. Then India's prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri suggested Kumar to make a film b ...
, ''
Ittefaq'', ''
Sajan
Sajan may refer to:
* Sajan (director)
Sajan is an Indian film director who works in Malayalam and Tamil films. Since the early 1980s he has directed some 30 films. He has also done many television serials and telefilms. Sajan's real name is S ...
'', ''Doli'', ''Raja Saab'' and ''
The Train''.
In the early 1970s, she started being offered character roles, mostly playing mothers, in movies like ''
Purab Aur Paschim
''Purab Aur Pachhim'' () is a 1970 Indian Hindi-language drama film. The movie was produced and directed by Manoj Kumar, and it stars Manoj Kumar, Saira Banu, Ashok Kumar, Pran and Prem Chopra in the lead roles. The music is by Kalyanji Anandji. ...
'' and ''Adhikar''. She won the
BFJA Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards commonly referred as BFJA Awards, is given by The Bengal Film Journalists' Association. The BFJA is the oldest association of film critics in India, founded in 1937 to serve the developing film journalism ...
Award as Best Supporting Actress for ''
Samaj Ko Badal Dalo
''Samaj Ko Badal Dalo'' () is a 1970 Bollywood drama film directed by V. Madhusudhana Rao. The film stars Parikshit Sahni, Sharada (reprising the latter's role from the original version and making this picture as her Hindi film debut), Prem C ...
'' (1971). She married an aspiring director named
Sultan Ahmed. He used Shammi's connections in the industry to get work. Her friends like
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
,
Sunil Dutt
Sunil Dutt (born Balraj Dutt; 6 June 1929 — 25 May 2005) was an Indian actor, film producer, director and politician. Dutt was one of the major stars of Hindi cinema in the late 1950s and 1960s and continued to star in many successful film ...
and
Asha Parekh
Asha Parekh (born 2 October 1942) is a retired Indian actress, film director, and producer who appeared in many commercially successful films throughout her career. She was the highest paid actress of her time and was one of the most successful ...
worked in films directed by Sultan Ahmed. Her husband's directorial ventures such as ''Heera'' (1973), ''
Dharam Kanta
''Dharam Kanta'' ( Balance of Piety) is a 1982 Hindi-language action film, produced and directed by Sultan Ahmed under the Sultan Productions banner. It stars Raaj Kumar, Waheeda Rehman, Jeetendra, Rajesh Khanna, Reena Roy, Sulakshana Pandit, ...
'', and ''
Daata
''Daata'' () is a 1989 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed by Sultan Ahmed, starring Mithun Chakraborty, Shammi Kapoor, Padmini Kolhapure, Suresh Oberoi, Supriya Pathak, Amrish Puri, Ranjeet, Deepak Parashar, Shafi Inamdar, Saeed J ...
'' were successful. During this period, Shammi did not accept offers from other directors and due to this she started getting fewer offers to act in films. In hindsight, she admitted that that had been a mistake on her part.
Shammi suffered two miscarriages and there were no further pregnancies. So, she and
Sultan Ahmed did not have any children. This created tension in their relationship. The couple had bought a house and her husband wanted to put the house in her name. Shammi was of the opinion that since her
sister-in law did not have an income, Ahmed should put the house in his sister's name. Ahmed's
brother in law
A sibling-in-law is the spouse of one's sibling, or the sibling of one's spouse, or the person who is married to the sibling of one's spouse.Cambridge Dictionaries Online.Family: non-blood relations.
More commonly, a sibling-in-law is referred ...
's family also resided with them. Shammi was close to her brother-in-law's children and took care of them. After seven years of marriage, she separated from her husband in 1980. She walked out of the house without taking anything with her, including her car. She returned to her old house where she stayed with her mother in Bandra. Nargis Dutt helped Shammi get a role in ''
The Burning Train
''The Burning Train'' is a 1980 Indian action thriller disaster film, produced by B. R. Chopra under the B. R. Films banner and directed by Ravi Chopra. The film featured a huge all-star cast, featuring Dharmendra, Hema Malini, Vinod Khanna, Pa ...
'' within eight days after Shammi had left her house. Her friend
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
helped her get small roles in films with him in the lead from 1980 such as ''
Red Rose (film)'', ''
Aanchal'', ''
Kudrat
''Kudrat'' () is a 1981 Indian Hindi-language drama film, written and directed by Chetan Anand. The film stars Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini, supported by Raaj Kumar, Priya Rajvansh and Vinod Khanna. This is the second movie of the Rajesh Kh ...
'', ''
Awara Baap
''Awara Baap'' is a 1985 Bollywood film starring Rajesh Khanna in the title role, directed by Sohanlal Kanwar.
Plot
Raj is the only son of the rich man Seth Gopal Das. His childhood and teenage years were very lonely as his mother died when ...
'' and ''
Swarg
''Swarg'' () is a 1990 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by David Dhawan, released in 1990. It stars Rajesh Khanna, Govinda, Juhi Chawla, Madhavi in lead roles. Swarg is the fourth last certified hit of Rajesh Khanna, as this was follo ...
''. These films got her noticed as a supporting actress and revived her career.
Encouraged by her recent successes, she decided to produce a film named ''
Pighalta Aasman
''Pighalta Aasman'' is a 1985 Indian Hindi-language film produced and directed by Shammi. It stars Shashi Kapoor, Raakhee, Rati Agnihotri in pivotal roles.
Story
Delhi-based businesswoman Aarti Singh Rathod lives a wealthy lifestyle along wit ...
'' in 1985.
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
was going to act in the film, and he suggested the name of (
Esmayeel Shroff
Esmayeel Shroff (12 August 1960 – 26 October 2022) was an Indian film director and writer, noted for his work in the Bollywood industry. His hit film ''Thodisi Bewafaii'' was famous among the crowd of the 1980s. The movie was written by his b ...
) as the director. There was reportedly an altercation between Esmayeel and Khanna, after which Khanna walked out of the film. It had not gone on the floors then. Shammi had brought in a big actress,
Raakhee
Raakhee Gulzar (born Rakhee Majumdar on 15 August 1947 and known as Raakhee) is an Indian actress who has appeared in many Hindi films and Bengali films as well. In four decades of acting, she has won three Filmfare Awards and one National Film ...
, as
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
was starring in the film. The distributors were dissatisfied with Shammi as she had promised them Rajesh Khanna. She then approached
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor (pronounced əʃi kəpuːɾ (born Balbir Raj Kapoor; 18 March 1938 – 4 December 2017) was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his work in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four Nation ...
. On this topic, she quoted in an interview: "He (
Shashi Kapoor
Shashi Kapoor (pronounced əʃi kəpuːɾ (born Balbir Raj Kapoor; 18 March 1938 – 4 December 2017) was an Indian actor and film producer who is best known for his work in Hindi films. A recipient of several accolades, including four Nation ...
) did not even ask me how much I was going to pay him. Everything fell in place. But the director sucked the life out of me. He fought with everyone on the sets. Ultimately, he was thrown out of the film before the dubbing was completed. I directed the film. The film bombed at the box office. I knew it would flop. I went into a big loss."
To help her recover from the losses,
Rajesh Khanna
Rajesh Khanna () (; born Jatin Khanna; 29 December 1942 – 18 July 2012) was an Indian actor, film producer and politician who worked in Hindi films. He is called as the "First Superstar of Hindi cinema", he consecutively starred in a record ...
, who was producing television series then, helped Shammi get a few roles on TV shows. She was getting paid well for her roles in both movies and TV shows, and this time she started saving money. Her performances in serials such as ''Dekh Bhai Dekh'', ''Zabaan Sambhal Ke'', ''Shriman Shrimati'', ''Kabhi Yeh Kabhi Woh'' and ''Filmi Chakkar'' were appreciated.
She was very much in demand from 1990 to 2000, appearing in many successful films such as ''
Coolie No 1'', ''
Hum
Hum may refer to:
Science
* Hum (sound), a sound produced with closed lips, or by insects, or other periodic motion
* Mains hum, an electric or electromagnetic phenomenon
* The Hum, an acoustic phenomenon
* Venous hum, a physiological sensation
...
'', ''
Mardon Wali Baat'', ''
Gurudev'', ''
Gopi Kishan
''Gopi Kishan'' is 1994 Indian Hindi action comedy movie directed by Mukesh Duggal starring Sunil Shetty in a dual role, supported by Shilpa Shirodkar and Karishma Kapoor. Other cast includes Suresh Oberoi, Aruna Irani, Mohan Joshi, Shammi, Sa ...
'', ''Hum Saath-Saath Hain'' and ''
Imtihaan
''Imtihan'' (translation: ''Examination'') is a 1994 Indian Hindi-language action romance film directed by Harry Baweja, starring Sunny Deol, Saif Ali Khan and Raveena Tandon.
Plot
Vicky (Saif Ali Khan) is a popular singer, who meets and fal ...
''. Her portrayal of the role of a drug addict in Mahesh Bhatt's ''Lahu Ke Do Rang'' got her good reviews.
Movie offers, however, stopped coming to her after 2002 since she was getting older. She was rarely offered any roles from 2008 to 2011.
She made a comeback with ''
Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi
''Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi'' () is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language romantic comedy film directed by Bela Bhansali Sehgal, starring Farah Khan, Boman Irani, Kavin Dave, Shammi, Kurush Deboo and Daisy Irani. The film takes its inspiration fro ...
'' in 2013; as the director Bela Sehgal wanted her for the role of a Parsi woman.
Personal life
Shammi was married to film producer & director Sultan Ahmed for seven years, before they were divorced.
Death
Shammi died in her sleep on 6 March 2018, aged 88.
Filmography
Television
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shammi
1929 births
2018 deaths
Indian film actresses
Indian television actresses
Actresses from Mumbai
Parsi people from Mumbai
Actresses in Hindi cinema
20th-century Indian actresses
21st-century Indian actresses