Fearless Nadia on AllMovie

India's feminine equivalent to Errol Flynn, Fearless Nadia kept audiences on the edge of their seats with her swashbuckling adventures during the '30s, '40s, and '50s. Over her career, the statuesque, blue-eyed blond played a masked Zorro-like heroine in more than 55 films, most of them opposite strongman John Cawas. She was born Mary Evans in Perth, Australia, but from the age of five was raised in India. She got her professional start with the Zarko Circus in 1930 after studying horsemanship and ballet. In her career's second phase, Evans, who changed her name to Nadia at the suggestion of a fortune teller, traveled India as a solo performer. She made her feature film debut in a pair of Hindi movies, Desh-Deepak and Noor-e-Yama, in 1932. As Fearless Nadia, she was famed for performing remarkable stunts in the name of helping the poor and the just. During the war, she became an inspirational symbol of tolerance, hope, and courage. Toward the late '30s, Nadia attempted a straight melodramatic role in Mauj, but audiences didn't want their heroine to play ordinary women and so rejected the film. Her career faltered until 1943 when producer Homi Wadia revived stunt films by starring her in The Daughter of Hunterwali. A number of similar films followed in quick succession. Nadia retired in the early '60s and in 1961 married Wadia. Later, she turned to raising thoroughbreds and one of her colts, Najinsky, became a national champion. In 1993, Nadia's films made a comeback following the release of Fearless: The Hunterwali Story. Fearless Nadia passed away in a Bombay Hospital in January 1996.