Begum Para

Begum Para (25 December 1926 – 9 December 2008) was an Indian Hindi film actress who was active mostly in the 1940s and 1950s. 

After 50 years, she returned to films with her last role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya (2007) as Sonam Kapoor's grandmother. In her times in 1950s, she was considered a glamour girl of Bollywood, so much so, that Life magazine had a special session with her devoted to her fine sensuous photographs.

Personal life

She married actor Nasir Khan, the younger brother of Bollywood actor Dilip Kumar. 

They had three children, including the actor Ayub Khan. Begum Para's father Mian Ehsan-ul-Haq of Jalandhar, was a judge who joined the princely state of Bikaner, now northern Rajasthan, where he became chief justice of its highest court. Her husband died in 1974.  

Following her husband's death, she briefly migrated to Pakistan in 1975. Two years later, she relocated back to India.

Death

She died in her sleep on 9 December 2008 at the age of 81.

Filmography

• Saawariya (2007) - Sakina's grandmother
• Kar Bala
• Kismet Ka Khel (1956)
• Pehli Janak (1955)
• Shahzada (1955)
• Laila Majnu (1953)
• Naya Ghar (1953)
• Baghdad (1952)
• Pagle (1950)
• Meharbani (1950)
• Jharna (1948)
• Shahnaz (1948)
• Suhaag Raat (1948) - Paro
• Mehandi (1947)
• Neel Kamal (1947)
• Zanjeer (1947)
• The Chain (1947)
• Sohni Mahiwal (1946)
• Chand (1944)