Nagma
Indian actress
title: "Nagma" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1974-births", "living-people", "actresses-in-malayalam-cinema", "indian-film-actresses", "actresses-from-mumbai", "actresses-in-telugu-cinema", "actresses-in-tamil-cinema", "actresses-in-kannada-cinema", "actresses-in-hindi-cinema", "actresses-in-bhojpuri-cinema", "actresses-in-bengali-cinema", "filmfare-awards-south-winners", "20th-century-indian-actresses", "21st-century-indian-actresses", "united-progressive-alliance-candidates-in-the-2014-indian-general-election", "women-in-delhi-politics", "indian-actor-politicians", "indian-christians", "indian-national-congress-politicians-from-andhra-pradesh", "21st-century-indian-women-politicians", "21st-century-indian-politicians", "converts-to-christianity-from-islam", "actresses-in-punjabi-cinema", "actresses-in-marathi-cinema"] description: "Indian actress" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagma" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Indian actress ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Nagma |
| birth_name | Nandita Arvind Morarjii |
| image | Heroine Nagma.jpg |
| caption | Nagma in September 2015 |
| birth_date | |
| birth_place | Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India |
| occupation | |
| relatives | Roshini (half-sister) |
| Jyothika (half-sister) | |
| Suriya (brother-in-law) | |
| party | Indian National Congress |
| yearsactive | 1990–2008 (actress) |
| 2004–present (politician) | |
| alma_mater | Mumbai University (B. Com.) |
| :: |
| name = Nagma | birth_name = Nandita Arvind Morarjii | image = Heroine Nagma.jpg | image size = | caption = Nagma in September 2015 | birth_date = | birth_place = Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India | occupation = | relatives = Roshini (half-sister) Jyothika (half-sister) Suriya (brother-in-law) | othername = | party = Indian National Congress | yearsactive = 1990–2008 (actress) 2004–present (politician) | alma_mater = Mumbai University (B. Com.)
Nagma Arvind Morarji (born Nandita Arvind Morarji; 25 December 1974), known mononymously as Nagma. is an Indian politician and former actress. She gained prominence as a leading actress in the 1990s and appeared in films across various Indian languages, primarily in Telugu, Hindi, Tamil and Bhojpuri.
Nagma made her film debut in Baaghi (1990) opposite Salman Khan, which was the seventh highest-grossing Hindi film of the year. She went on to star in several notable films, including Gharana Mogudu (1992), King Uncle (1993), Varasudu (1993), Suhaag (1994), Kaadhalan (1994), Baashha (1995), and Lal Baadshah (1999).
Early and personal life
Nagma was born in Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, as Nandita Arvind Morarji on 25 December 1974. Her father is Arvind Morarji, whose forefathers hailed from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, later migrating to Porbandar, Gujarat, and finally Mumbai. Her grandfather Gokuldas Morarji was a reputed businessman in the shipping, textile, agricultural, and pharmaceutical industries.
Nagma's mother, Seema, originally named Shama Kazi, is a Muslim belonging to the Kazi freedom fighter family. She married Morarji in 1969 at the CCI Club in Mumbai but separated from him in 1974. After divorcing Morarji in August 1974, Nagma's mother married Chander Sadanah, a film producer, in March 1975, with whom she had three children, including two daughters, actresses Jyothika and Roshini (born Radhika).
Nagma was educated at Mount Mary Convent High School in Mumbai. She then did her graduation in Commerce from R. D. National College of Mumbai University.
Nagma remained close to her biological father until his death on 31 December 2005. She explained to a Mumbai reporter, "I am proud of the fact that I belong to a respectable family. My mother was legally married to my father, the late Shri Arvind Morarji, at a public function at the CCI Club, Mumbai." It was Nagma's mother who encouraged her to become an actress and is said to have been her "constant companion on the film sets" for several years.
Nagma is a practising Christian. She was baptised in the year 2007.
Acting career
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Nagma_at_RK_Excellence_Awards_(6).jpg" caption="Nagma at RK Excellence Awards"] ::
Nagma's debut film Baghi: A Rebel for Love, opposite Salman Khan was Hindi cinema's seventh highest-grossing film in 1990. With Karisma Kapoor, she was also one of the female leads in 1994's Suhaag with Ajay Devgan and Akshay Kumar. Following these films, she acted in Telugu and Tamil films at the behest of her friend Divya Bharti. Explaining her shift, she cited what she was more conscious of the quality of work, in terms of meaty roles and her flair to travel throughout India understanding different cultures and her drive and passion to get acclamation from all over India. She stated "Language was never a barrier. I love adventure, culture and have great respect for the Indian tradition".{{
Her Telugu films include Gharana Mogudu with Chiranjeevi, Allari Alludu with Nagarjuna Akkineni and Major Chandrakanth with N. T. Rama Rao and Mohan Babu. Her Tamil films include Kaadhalan with Prabhu Deva, Baashha with Rajinikanth and Villadhi Villain with Sathyaraj in which she played her most glamour part and begin to tempt the Tamil audience and her performance gained her a unanimous praises for her glamour role time.
After moving back to Mumbai, she focused on supporting roles in Hindi films like the 2000s Chal Mere Bhai, which reunited her with former co-stars Karisma Kapoor, Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt. While based in Mumbai, she continued to work in some Telugu and Tamil films, such as Allari Ramudu and Citizen, as well as taking leading roles in some Malayalam films including Chathurangam.
Nagma has acted in Bhojpuri films, including films with the Big Boss participant Ravi Kishan. She won a Best Actress award at the 2005 Bhojpuri Film Awards for her performance in Dulha Milal Dildar. In 2006's Ganga, she starred in the title role opposite Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini. When asked why she shifted to Bhojpuri films, she said "I wanted to do films in different languages. I have already done films in 10 languages. My first Bhojpuri film Panditji Bataayina Biyaah Kab Hoii was a huge hit. After that, the offers poured in and they were too good to be ignored." When interviewed by The Hindu in Delhi in April 2007, she indicated that another important reason for her decision to focus on Bhojpuri films was to help with her political campaigning.
In 2006, she made her Punjabi film debut, starring alongside Raj Babbar in Ek Jind Ek Jaan.
Discussing her career in a Mid-Day interview in September 2006, Nagma said "I have learned nine languages, so I want to do films in all languages. On the Hindi film front, I am in the process of signing a very big period thriller. I am getting to do a variety of roles with content, so I am satisfied." While noting her commitment to complete several Bhojpuri films she was involved with, in March 2007, she expressed her intention to next focus on returning to Hindi films after wrapping up her projects. In her 2007 Hindustan Times interview, in which she discusses her future plans for cinema and politics, Nagma responded to a question about her reputation for controversy by saying "You need guts to deal with controversies. Of course, whether it's for negative or positive reasons, I’ve always been in the news."
Politics
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Nagma_at_RK_Excellence_Awards_(1).jpg" caption="Nagma at RK Excellence Awards"] ::
It was reported that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wanted to field Nagma as a candidate from Hyderabad for the 2004 General Lok Sabha Elections. But she decided to join Congress in 2004 and campaigned in Andhra Pradesh. She cited Congress party's "commitment towards secularism and welfare of the poor and weaker sections" as her reason for joining it. After joining the Congress, Nagma has reportedly said that she first supported the Congress party because of her admiration for Rajiv Gandhi.
She contested 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Meerut as Congress candidate, securing fourth position with 42,911 votes. She lost her deposit.
In a 2006 interview, she made a direct link between her family history and her political activism: "My mom is Muslim and my dad is Hindu. We were brought up to respect all religions. She said "I personally experienced the Love of Jesus Christ from early on and His uniqueness and identifies herself as a Christian. Communal riots pained me. I wanted to do something. So I joined politics." She had to turn down an offer to run for India's Lok Sabha in 2003 due to her many film commitments. "If I wanted to become a member of Parliament I would need to give 100 per cent to my constituency — which I could not at that point of time." In an interview with the Hindustan Times in 2007, she said "politics will continue".
Nagma was appointed the general secretary of All India Mahila Congress in 2015.
Filmography
::data[format=table]
| Year | Film | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Baaghi: A Rebel for Love | Kaajal aka Paro | Hindi | |
| 1991 | Peddinti Alludu | Geeta | Telugu | Debut in Telugu |
| Killer | Priya | |||
| 1992 | Gharana Mogudu | Uma Devi | Nominated-Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu | |
| Bewaffa Se Waffa | Nagma | Hindi | ||
| Dilwale Kabhi Na Hare | Anjali Oberoi | |||
| Police Aur Mujrim | Meena Khanna | |||
| Yalgaar | Anu Singhal | |||
| Aswamedham | Sowjanya | Telugu | ||
| 1993 | King Uncle | Kavita | Hindi | |
| Major Chandrakanth | Seetha | Telugu | ||
| Varasudu | Keerthi | |||
| Hasti | Neena Narang | Hindi | ||
| Kondapalli Raja | Subbalakshmi | Telugu | ||
| Dhartiputra | Lisa | Hindi | ||
| Allari Alludu | Sravani | Telugu | ||
| Rendilla Poojari | ||||
| Green Snake | Bharatanatyam dancer | Cantonese | ||
| Mandarin Chinese | credited as Najma | |||
| 1994 | Mugguru Monagallu | Rani | Telugu | |
| Super Police | Roja | |||
| Gang Master | Sandhya | |||
| Aavesam | ||||
| Kaadhalan | Sruthi | Tamil | Nominated — Filmfare Award for Best Actress — Tamil | |
| Suhaag | Madhu | Hindi | ||
| 1995 | Baashha | Priya | Tamil | |
| Mounam | Manjari | Telugu | ||
| Ragasiya Police | Raji | Tamil | ||
| Villadhi Villain | Janaki | |||
| *Anna * | Malayalam | Unreleased | ||
| Rikshavodu | Rani | Telugu | ||
| Adavi Dora | Priya | |||
| Bharatha Simham | ||||
| 1996 | Love Birds | Mridula | Tamil | |
| Saradha Bullodu | Nirmala Devi | Telugu | ||
| Mettukudi | Indhu | Tamil | ||
| 1997 | Kaun Rokega Mujhe | Nisha | Hindi | |
| Periya Thambi | Selvi | Tamil | ||
| Aravindhan | Anu | |||
| Surya Putrulu | Telugu | |||
| Janakiraman | Indhu | Tamil | ||
| Pistha | Venilla | |||
| 1998 | Sreekrishnapurathe Nakshathrathilakkam | Yamuna Rani | Malayalam | |
| Kurubana Rani | Rani | Kannada | ||
| Vaettiya Madichu Kattu | Mrs.Pooja Jaiprakash | Tamil | ||
| 1999 | Lal Baadshah | Hindi | Special appearance | |
| Ravimama | Kannada | |||
| 2000 | Kunwara | Sharmila Singh | Hindi | |
| Chal Mere Bhai | Sonia | Guest appearance | ||
| Papa The Great | Mrs. Pooja Jai Prakash | |||
| 2001 | Dheena | Tamil | Special appearance in the song "Vathikuchi Pathikadhuda" | |
| Sai Teri Maya | Hindi | |||
| Ek Rishtaa: The Bond of Love | Special appearance | |||
| Citizen | CBI Sarojini Harichandran | Tamil | ||
| Yeh Teraa Ghar Yeh Meraa Ghar | Anupama Verma | Hindi | Special appearance | |
| 2002 | Chathurangam | Nayana Pillai | Malayalam | |
| Allari Ramudu | Chamundeswari | Telugu | ||
| Ninu Choodaka Nenundalenu | Special appearance | |||
| 2003 | Hrudayavantha | Kannada | ||
| 2004 | Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo | Aarti V. Singh | Hindi | |
| 2005 | Dulha Milal Dildar | Bhojpuri | - Bhojpuri Film Award for Best Actress | |
| Panditji Batai Na Byah Kab Hoi | ||||
| Parinam | Nisha | Bengali | ||
| 2006 | Ek Jind Ek Jaan | Nimmi | Punjabi | |
| Ganga | Ganga | Bhojpuri | - Bhojpuri Film Award for Best Actress | |
| Ab Ta Banja Sajnwa Hamaar | ||||
| Mai Baap | ||||
| Dil Diwana Tohar Ho Gayil | ||||
| Raja Thakur | ||||
| 2007 | Back To Honeymoon | Hindi | ||
| Thamb Lakshmi Thamb | Lakshmi | Marathi | ||
| Tu Hamaar Hou | Bhojpuri | |||
| Janam Janam Ke Saath | ||||
| 2008 | Hanuman Bhakt Hawaldaar | |||
| Thela No 501 | ||||
| :: |
Awards and nominations
She is a recipient of Bhojpuri Film Awards two times. She won Best Actress at the first Bhojpuri Film Awards for her performance in Dulha Milal Dildar. Later in 2007, she was honoured again for the same for the 2006 film Ganga, in which she played the titular role.
She was nominated at Filmfare Awards South for her work in Telugu and Tamil film industry. She was seen as the female lead in Gharana Mogudu, Telugu-language film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao, opposite Chiranjeevi, for which she was nominated her first Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Telugu. She lost the award to Revathy for Ankuram . Second time, she was nominated for the Filmfare Award for Best Actress – Tamil at 42nd Filmfare Awards South, for her role in Kaadhalan, but lost to Revathi again for Priyanka (1994 film), but the team won Best Director – Tamil for S. Shankar & Music Director – Tamil for A. R. Rahman.
In 2013, the Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) decided to honour Nagma with a lifetime achievement award, but issued the award to Sharmila Tagore instead. Nagma, who was 39 years old at the time, said, "I thought I was too young for the award, but they convinced me. They said I had been selected because of my contribution to Indian cinema". JIFF's director, Hanuman Chaudhary, said that the change was due to Nagma not responding to their invitation, but Nagma recounted to Times of India that she accepted their invitation officially.
::data[format=table]
| Year | Award | Category | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Filmfare Awards South | Best Actress – Telugu | Gharana Mogudu | |
| 1994 | Best Actress – Tamil | Kaadhalan | ||
| 2006 | Bhojpuri Film Awards | Best Actress | Dulha Milal Dildar | |
| 2007 | Ganga | |||
| :: |
References
References
- "Morarji Nagma Arvind(Indian National Congress(INC)):Constituency- MEERUT(UTTAR PRADESH) - Affidavit Information of Candidate".
- [http://www.boxofficeindia.com/1990.htm Baaghi: A Rebel for Love] {{webarchive. link. (7 April 2007)
- (25 December 2019). "पहली फिल्म से ही फेमस हुईं नगमा, अब दिखती हैं ऐसी, फिल्मी दुनिया छोड़ कर रहीं राजनीति". Amar Ujala.
- (15 March 2019). "Sensuous pictures of Nagma, ex-gf of Sourav Ganguly - OrissaPOST". Odisha News, Odisha Latest news, Odisha Daily - OrissaPOST.
- (21 April 2006). "Nagma's family secret". The Telegraph (India).
- (23 November 2019). "In my school today Mount Mary Convent a stones throw away from my home Nostalgia of my school days with my school friend just like old times down memory lane !! I played as the State level volleyball player then. For Maharashtra !!! Was selected to go to play in Asiad games !!".
- "For Indophiles and Those Who Crave Bollywood". I Crave Bollywood.
- (3 June 2025). "Meet actress, whose father is Hindu, mother is Muslim, she is a Christian, dated two married actors, still single, name is ..". India.com.
- (January 1996). "Tamil Movie News – 1995 review". Society of Tamil Culture.
- "Telugu Cinema - Review - Allari Ramudu - NTR, Nagma, Ari Agrawal, Urvasi - RP Patnaik - B Gopal - Chanti".
- "Nagma is back". Tamilmovies.
- "Tamil Movies Online News".
- "ajithkumar.fr.fm". ajithkumar.fr.fm.
- (19 August 2002}}{{dead link). "In a different mould". [[The Hindu]].
- (9 December 2002). "Goodlass Nerolac piggybacks on Mohanlal starrer". [[Business Line]].
- (4 December 2002). "Chathurangam (2002)".
- ""Results", Bhojpuri Film Awards website". bhojpurifilmaward.com.
- link. (30 September 2007)
- (5 April 2007). ""Figure in focus..." Anuj Kumar, in The Hindu (5 April 2007)". [[The Hindu]].
- "Ek Jind Ek Jaan Movie: Showtimes, Review, Trailer, Posters, News & Videos | eTimes".
- link. (20 May 2007)
- ""Nagma in poll fray?" Times News Network (21 March 2004)". The Times of India.
- ""Film actress Nagma joins Congress" Indo-Asian News Service (16 April 2004)". Yahoo!.
- "See, e.g., "Government office for Nagma?" (10 Nov. 2006) at".
- (16 May 2014). "Nagma: Election Results 2014: Nagma's star attraction fails to click in Meerut - Times of India". The Times of India.
- (19 May 2014). "Lok Sabha elections: Why many candidates lost their deposits". Livemint.
- Ashcraft, Michael. (15 June 2018). "Bollywood actress Nagma discovered the uniqueness of Jesus {{!}} God Reports".
- A Ganesh Nadar interview with Nagma, "Nagma, the survivor — The actress who has truly done it all." (10 March 2006), at rediff.com [http://specials.rediff.com/movies/2006/mar/09sld3.htm] {{Webarchive. link. (3 July 2009)
- (6 October 2015). "Nagma made General Secretary of All India Mahila Congress". The Economic Times.
- "Archived copy".
- fwire. (18 September 2013). "8th Bhojpuri Film Awards in Lucknow". Firstpost.
- "Top ten Kannada films to have been remade".
- (1995). "The 42nd Annual (South) Filmfare Winners".
- (29 January 2013). "Nagma loses award of a lifetime to Sharmila Tagore - Times of India". The Times of India.
- "1st Bhojpuri Film Awards".
- "2nd Bhojpuri Film Awards".
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