Most of us believe that yesteryear superstar Sharmila Tagore was the first Bollywood actress to wear a bikini in films like An Evening In Paris (1967) and Aamne Saamne (1967) but this is not the fact as the first Indian actress who wore a bikini was Meenakshi Shirodkar in a Marathi film called Brahmachari (1938).
Meenakshi Shirodkar is the grandmother of Shilpa and Namrata Shirodkar. Meenakshi wore the swimsuit in the song Yamuna jali khelu khel in which she was seen seducing Master Vinayak, who was her co-star.
According to reports, the song was dubbed in Hindi too and Meenaskhi became a popular name after this song. Meenakshi and Master Vinayak later acted in several films together, like Brandichi Batli (1939), Ardhangi / Ghar Ki Rani (1940), Amrut (1941), Mazhe Bal (1943) and more.
The first Hindi actress to wear a swimsuit was Nalini Jaywant, who was the first cousin of Shobhana Samarth. Nalini Jaywant wore the swimsuit in the film Sangram, which released in 1950. In the film, Nalini was paired opposite Ashok Kumar.
Nargis then wore a swimsuit in Awara (1951), according to Filmfare.
Nutan also grabbed headlines when she donned the swimsuit in the comedy Dilli Ka Thug (1958). Nutan’s decision to wear a swimsuit raised eyebrows because it was a total departure from image. Nutan portrayed the role of a swimmer in the film.
