Who Was Nazima? Rajesh Khanna’s Former Co-Star And Arzoo Fame Actress Dies At 77

Nazima, who pretty much owned the “beloved sister” role in so many Bollywood classics from the ’60s and ’70s, died at 77 on Monday, August 11.

Honestly, it’s hard to imagine old-school Hindi films without her popping up as the trusted confidante or selfless sibling.

How did Nazima die? 

She was born Mehrunnisa, way back on March 25, 1948, in Nashik. She’d been living in Dadar with her two sons. Showbiz, you could say, ran in her blood—her aunt Husn Bano was married to director Aspi Irani, and plenty of women from that family found their way into films.

The official statement about her passing called her the “Resident Sister” of Hindi cinema, and, yeah, that’s spot on. She had this genuine warmth on screen—never felt forced, just real. Think Arzoo, Beimaan, Prem Nagar, Anuraag… the list goes on. You’d lose count of the number of times she played the sister everyone wanted but never had.

But she wasn’t a one-note performer, not by a long shot. Sure, she nailed the affectionate sister thing, but there was depth. Subtlety. She had a knack for saying so much with just a look. The industry’s going to feel this loss for a long time, but the roles she played—those stick around. You just can’t erase that kind of legacy.

Nazima’s Bollywood career

Nazima’s first brush with the camera? She was just a kid—Baby Chand in Do Bigha Zamin. Bimal Roy spotted her talent, and soon she was in Devdas (as Paro’s classmate), Biraj Bahu (Abhi Bhattacharya’s sister), and even Raj Kapoor’s Ab Dilli Door Nahin.

Later, she shared screen space with the biggest names out there—Rajesh Khanna in Aurat and Doli, Sanjeev Kumar in Nishan, and starred in Raja Aur Runk, crooning along to “O Firki Wali.” If you watched Hindi cinema in those decades, you absolutely saw her.