What made ‘Fearless Nadia’, today’s Google Doodle, fearless? This Australian woman moved to India at the age of 5 and began a career in theatre with the Zarko Circus in 1930. Remember Kangana Ranaut’s character in Rangoon? It was said to be based on Fearless Nadia and her daring acts. The stuntwoman performed stunts like jumping across moving trains, swimming in raging waterfalls, socialising with lions and jumping from horseback onto ladders dangling from airplanes. Her big break came in the form of Hunterwali in 1935 where she played the ultimate badass female lead, successfully putting her and the Wadia Brothers (the filmmakers) on the map. She later married Homi Wadia in 1961 and remained married till she passed away on January 9th, 1981. The first Indian actress to not be victimised or turned into a vamp, she played a strong female lead, a take on Robin Hood.
She received a long overdue tribute at the Alchemy Festival in London’s Southbank Centre and it deserves a watch.
