'''Nadia (1908-1996)'''

Aka ‘Fearless’ Nadia. Indian cinema’s most
famous stunt actress was born Mary Evans in
Perth, Australia. She worked in Zacko’s Russian
circus before touring the Asian subcontinent
with Madame Astrova’s ballet group, doing live
shows in between silent films for British and
Indian troops. She joined Wadia Movietone as
chorus girl for Lal-e-Yaman. Hunterwali, the
first of her highly successful films usually
directed by her husband Homi Wadia,
launched her as ‘India’s Pearl White’ in action
films set in an unspecified period or in Tarzanland
(Jungle Princess) or in a fantasy version of
Hollywood gangster movies. She was always
accompanied by her horse, Punjab Ka Beta,
except when swinging from one building to
another or through high-domed halls via
chandeliers (Hunterwali), fighting the villain
atop a rolling carriage (Diamond Queen) and,
most popular of all, jumping from roof to roof
on a moving train. She made several ‘train’
films, esp. Miss Frontier Mail, to show off
this talent. The villain was always the devious
Sayani and her (usually masked) hero was
initially Boman Shroff who started the Wadia
stunt tradition in silent films playing Fairbanks
roles. After Punjab Mail, John Cawas replaced
him as her leading man. Riyad Vinci Wadia,
J.B.H. Wadia’s grandson and the current
owner of Wadia Movietone, made a
documentary about the star, Fearless: The
Hunterwali Story (1993).


'''FILMOGRAPHY:''' 1933: Lal-e-Yaman; 1935:
Desh Deepak; Noor-e-Yaman; Hunterwali;
1936: Miss Frontier Mail; Pahadi Kanya;
1937: Hurricane Hansa; 1938: Lutaru
Lalna; 1939: Punjab Mail; 1940: Diamond
Queen; 1941: Bambaiwali; 1942: Jungle
Princess; Muqabala; 1943: Hunterwali Ki
Beti; Mauj; 1946: Flying Prince; Lady Robin
Hood; Sher-e-Baghdad; Toofan Queen; 1947:
Himmatwali; Stunt Queen; Toofani Tirandaz;
Chabuk Sawar; 1948: Eleven O’Clock; Jungle
Goddess; Tigress; 1949: Delhi Express;
Dhoomketu; Maya Mahal; Billi; 1950:
Circuswale; 1952: Jungle Ka Jawahar; 1953:
Shamsheerbaaz; 1954: Sher Dil; 1955:
Carnival Queen; 1956: Baghdad Ka Jadu;
Fighting Queen; Jungle Queen; 1957: Diler
Daku; 1959: Circus Queen; 1968: Khiladi;
1993: Fearless: The Hunterwali Story (Doc).

[[Actor]]