Born in 1926 to an aristocratic family, this Bollywood star gave the first ever bold, steamy shoot in India in 1951
Begum Para was born Zubeda Ul Haq in an aristocratic family from Jhelum in Punjab. The actress, who always wanted to be a star, entered the film industry as a teenager, and soon established herself as one of the most glamourous actresses of her time. In the 40s and 50s, Begum Para rose as Bollywood’s first ever sex symbol, even doing a steamy boudoir shoot for an international magazine
1. Begum Para’s royal lineage
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Born to Mian Ehsanul-Haq, the Chief Justice of the kingdom of Bikaner, Zubeda was educated at Aligarh Muslim University, falling in love with films as a teenager
2. Begum Para’s film career
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Zubeda began her career in films with the 1944 film Chand at the age of 17. She used her nickname Para as her screen name, prefixing it with Begum to denote her aristocratic lineage
3. Begum Para’s status as OG sex symbol
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Begum Para was a top actress, working with many stars like Sunil Dutt, Raj Kapoor, and Bharat Bhushan but was most known for her glamorous image
4. Begum Para’s steamy shoot for Life magazine
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In 1951, Begum Para posed for America’s Life Magazine, where her steamy pictures created a nationwide sensation
5. When Begum Para quit Bollywood
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In 1956, Begum Para married Nasir Khan, actor and Dilip Kumar’s brother. Following this, she quit films at the age of 29
6. Begum Para’s return to Bollywood
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Barring a couple of cameos in the 1980s, Begum Para stayed away from films for 50 years before she was convinced to return by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in Saawariya in 2007
7. Begum Para’s death
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The veteran actress, who revolutionised glamour for Indian heroines, passed away in 2008 at the age of 81
