4 days ago
Baby Naaz’s Stardom Concealed Exploitation, Hunger and Lost Dreams
Baby Naaz was a talented child performer in India.
She began earning money for her family when she was only four.
At eight, she started acting in films and became very famous.
Her work in Boot Polish earned special recognition at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
However, her mother controlled the money and did not let her continue her education.
Naaz said she sometimes worked all day and went to bed without food.
She also said that she felt so unhappy as a child that she tried to end her life.
As she grew older, she found support in actor Subiraj, whom she married in 1965.
She continued working in smaller roles and as a dubbing artist, but never regained her childhood fame before dying in 1995.
Baby Naaz began earning for her family at age four and entered films at eight.
Despite becoming one of India’s highest-paid child stars, she reportedly lacked personal savings and sometimes went hungry.
Her mother allegedly prioritized Naaz’s earnings over her education and rejected Raj Kapoor’s offer to sponsor studies in Switzerland.
Naaz attempted suicide at 10, later reunited with her father, and cut off her mother financially at 16.
She married actor Subiraj in 1965, later dubbed for Sridevi, and died of cancer in 1995 at 53.
- Who
- Baby Naaz, born Salma Baig, her parents, Raj Kapoor, and actor Subiraj are central to the account.
- What
- A retrospective describes Naaz’s rise as a highly paid child star and her allegations of exploitation, deprivation, and an unfulfilled adult career.
- Where
- The events took place primarily in India’s Hindi film industry; Boot Polish also screened at the Cannes Film Festival.
- When
- She began performing at four, entered films at eight, married in 1965, and died in 1995 at age 53.
- Why
- Her family depended on her earnings, while her mother allegedly prioritized the income over Naaz’s education, welfare, and long-term opportunities.
Key facts
- Birth name
- Salma Baig
- Early earnings
- Naaz reportedly began earning Rs 100 per stage show at age four.
- Film debut
- She received her first film offer at age eight.
- Major recognition
- Her work in Boot Polish received a Special Mention at the 1955 Cannes Film Festival.
- Education
- She was expelled from school after beginning film work and did not complete her education.
- Marriage
- She married actor Subiraj in 1965 after a five-year courtship.
- Death
- She died of cancer in 1995 at age 53.
Quotes
Baby Naaz
Former child actor discussing how performing became an obligation.
“I had no bank balance. Everything, the house, the property, the jewellery, the cash was in my mother’s name.”
indianexpress.com
“What started as a hobby, soon became a compulsion for me.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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