Zohra Sehgal Biography: Zohra Sehgal, an Indian actress, dancer, and choreographer, was featured on Google Doodle. On this day in 1946, her film “Neech Nagar” earned the Palme d’Or Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. Therefore, the search engine paid her a special tribute.
Zohra Sehgal Biography
Childhood, Birth, and Education
Zohra Sehgal was born on April 27, 1912, in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur as Sahibzaadi Begum Zohra Mumtazullah Khan. She was the third child of seven and was raised in a traditional Muslim household. ADVERTISING She was enrolled to Queen Mary College, Lahore, where purdah was strictly observed. Men were permitted to deliver guest lectures and seminars remotely. Following graduation, Zohra relocated to Europe. Her aunt in Europe encouraged her to enrol in the ballet academy of Mary Wigman in Germany. She passed the entrance exam, becoming the institution’s first Indian student. She studied contemporary dance for three years. Sehgal met Uday Shankar during her dance education at a performance of the Shiv-Parvati ballet. This was a turning point in her life, as Uday Shankar promised her a position when she returned to India after completing her course.
Zohra Sehgal: Profession
After receiving a telegram, Sehgal joined Uday Shankar’s troupe in August 1935. Zohra Sehgal was appointed as the group’s main dancer after a multi-nation tour. As promised, Uday Shankar offered her a position upon their return to India. Shegal began teaching at the Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre in Almora in 1940. Zohra met Kameshwar Sehgal at the Cultural Centre, and the two became the leading choreographers. After a few years, the two of them moved to Lahore and founded the Zohresh Dance Institute. Prior to the partition of India, the couple and their one-year-old daughter, Kiran, relocated to Bombay. In Bombay, Zohra joined the Prithvi Theatre. She entered the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) in 1945, where she performed in a number of plays and her first film, “Dharti Ke Lal.” Sehgal then acted in “Neech Nagar,” which brought her international recognition.
She also provided choreography services for Bollywood films. After the death of her spouse, Sehgal relocated to Delhi and joined Natya Academy as a director. In 1962, she received a drama scholarship that required her to relocate to London. She made her television debut in The Rescue of Pluffles, a BBC adaptation of a Kipling story. She also appeared in an episode of ‘Doctor Who’. Sehgal also hosted the BBC television series ‘Padosi’. She appeared in a number of films and television series, including ‘The Courtesans of Bombay,’ ‘The Jewel in the Crown,’ ‘Tandoori Nights,’ and ‘My Beautiful Laundrette.
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Zohra Sehgal: Facts
Prithviraj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Dev Anand, Govinda, Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and Ranbir Kapoor are actors with whom Zohra has collaborated. 2- In 2012, she was the first actor to appear on ‘Doctor Who’ to commemorate the show’s 100th anniversary. In addition, she became the oldest surviving actor to appear on the show. After her passing in 2014, Olaf Pooley became the oldest actor to have ever appeared on the programme. 3- Until her death in 2014, she was the actor who had appeared on BBC’s ‘Doctor Who’ the longest. Earl Cameron superseded her following her passing.
Zohra Sehgal’s Personal Life
At the Uday Shankar India Cultural Centre, Zohra and Kameshwar Sehgal met. Indore’s youthful scientist, painter, and dancer was Kameshwar Sehgal. Her spouse was eight years younger than Zohra. The wedding took place on August 14, 1942. Kiran Sehgal and Pavan Sehgal are the couple’s two offspring. Kameshwar passed away in 1959. Kiran Sehgal is an Odissi performer, while his brother Pavan Sehgal is employed by WHO.
Zohra Sehgal Death
After being diagnosed with pneumonia on July 9, 2014, Zohra was confined to the Max Hospital in South Delhi. On July 11, 2014, at the age of 102, Zohra passed away from cardiac arrest. Prime Minister Modi praised her on Twitter, describing her as “creative and full of life.” Zohra was cremated on July 11 at the crematorium on Lodhi Road in Delhi. Prior to her passing, she stated that she desired a simple cremation and burial. She further instructed them to flush her ashes down the toilet if the crematorium refused to retain her ashes.
