#GoldenFrames: Fearless Nadia, the first stunt woman of Bollywood

Mary Ann Evans was born on January 8, 1908, in Perth, Australia, to Scotsman Herbertt Evans and Margaret. Her father was a volunteer in the British Army. They lived in Australia before coming to India. Mary came to Mumbai in 1913 with her father at age five. Evans changed her name to Nadia on an Armenian fortune teller's advice and soon found her winning formula - Fearless Nadia, the action heroine. Her first lead role was in the movie 'Hunterwali' (1935), where she performed all of her stunts. Bollywood's first stuntwoman, Nadia performed in over 38 movies, including 'Lutaru Lalna' (1938), 'Punjab Mail' (1939), 'Diamond Queen' (1940) and 'Jungle Princess' (1942). Nadia's popularity reached places like Greece, Italy and France, making her India's first crossover actress. Cinema experts are studying Evan’s works in many countries, including at the UK’s School of Oriental and African Studies. Her legacy was gradually forgotten, only to be rediscovered in the 1993 documentary 'Fearless: The Hunterwali Story', which was made by JBH Wadia's grandson and Roy Wadia's brother, Riyad. Nadia passed away on January 9, 1996, a day after her 88th birthday, due to age-related diseases.