- #HGCREATORS
- #HGEXPLORE
- #HGVOICES
- #HGSHOP
- CAREERS
- ABOUT US
- CONTACT US
With all its idiosyncrasies (read: questionable politics, serious social issues, staunch moral stances), India manages to pleasantly surprise everyone once in a while by doing the very opposite of what is expected. In this instance, it was the celebration of a woman fighting crime, villains, and lecherous men all by herself with no hero in sight to save the day. It was Bombay in the 1930’s and ‘Fearless Nadia’ was taking the country by storm with her ruthless on screen persona, all the while maintaining a charm that was so endearing you couldn’t help but cheer for her while she fought for justice. All this, coupled with the fact that she performed all her own stunts, turned her into one of the most successful actresses of the time.
Nadia was a blue eyed blonde haired white woman who often towered over her Indian counterparts. Despite this, she was passed off as Indian in most of her films and the gullible audience lapped it up like nobody’s business. She was unlike any actress they had ever come across - keeping in mind the fact that this was a time when actresses were few and far in between anyway - and when they did show up it was usually as frail, dainty damsels in distress that needed rescuing every step of the way. Fearless Nadia played an instrumental role in shattering this particular glass ceiling. She was known for performing her own stunts, every single one of them: swinging off chandeliers, fighting sequences on top of moving trains, jumping off cliffs, fighting with multiple men at a time. There was nothing she wouldn’t do; in her own words, “I’ll try anything once.”
Born Mary Ann Evans in Western Australia, she came to India in 1913 with her parents – Scottish father and Greek mother – and as a little girl she learned how to hunt, fish, ride horses, and shoot. She later joined a ballet school in Bombay under Madam Astrova who, impressed by Evans’ dancing skills, recruited her to join the travelling dance troupe. She travelled all over the country and in 1930 began working for Zarko Circus. She was adept at the art of cartwheels and splits, which ultimately lead her to perform her own film stunts. J.B.H Wadia, founder of Wadia Movietones, introduced her to Bollywood. After playing moderately small roles in a couple of Wadia’s films, she was cast as the lead in Hunterwaali (1935). The first Hindi movie with a strong female lead, Hunterwaali went on to garner considerable success.
Feminism is a deeply layered, ongoing resistance against inequality and prejudice. We have come a long way from the 1930’s, and we undoubtedly still have a long way to go, but when inspiration comes from unexpected sources, you need to take a step back and appreciate all that the movement stands for, then go right ahead and smash all the glass ceilings, Fearless Nadia style.
If you enjoyed this piece, we suggest you read:
