Breadwinner At 4, Star At 8 And 2 Suicide Attempts At 10: Tragic Life Of Actor

At just 10 years old, Baby Naaz had already tasted fame that most actors could only dream of. She had worked with Raj Kapoor, become one of the highest-paid child stars of her era and earned a ‘Special Mention’ for Boot Polish at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955. 

But behind the applause was a childhood marked by exploitation, hunger and despair. Naaz had started earning for her family when she was just four, and years later, she would reveal that she had twice tried to end her life because she could no longer bear the life she was living.

She Started Earning At Four

Born Salma Baig, Naaz began dancing on stage when she was four. What initially started as a hobby soon became the family’s primary source of income. Her father, a struggling story writer, could not earn enough to support the household, and Naaz began receiving around Rs 100 for every performance.

By the time she was eight, films came calling. Her parents initially hesitated, but the money changed their minds. Naaz soon found herself working regularly in films, leaving little room for school.

Her appearance in Raj Kapoor’s Boot Polish changed everything. The film made her a household name, and her school even invited her back to complete her education. But by then, Naaz had become too valuable to the family as an earning member.

She recalled in an earlier interview with Stardust Magazine, “I left studies for my mother didn’t stop accepting films on my behalf, and my father stopped working. My mother was too used to making money out of me and didn’t want to forgo this easy life. She wanted me to work for her comforts, and I was both too young and in awe of my parents to refuse.”

The Kid Who Sometimes Went To Bed Hungry

Naaz may have been earning substantial money, but she said she barely saw any of it. Her home life was filled with her parents’ arguments, while she continued working long hours on film sets.

She said, “They fought with each other all the time. They didn’t even realise that I had come back home and gone off to sleep without food. I cannot count the times I have slept without food.”

Naaz did not hold her father responsible for her circumstances, particularly because he was seriously ill. Instead, she blamed her mother for becoming increasingly focused on the money her daughter was bringing home.

She added, “The only thing my mother bothered about was money. She got overambitious.”

The pressure eventually became unbearable.

At 10, Naaz Attempted Suicide

At the age of 10, Naaz tried to end her life by jumping into a well. She was rescued by her ayah, who had been keeping a close watch on her. Naaz later attempted suicide again, but her ayah intervened once more.

She revealed, “I felt choked. I wanted breathing space. I couldn’t take it anymore and that is when I first tried to end my life.”

What followed, according to Naaz, was another painful moment. She said her mother’s reaction was not one of concern for her daughter’s emotional state.

Her mother allegedly slapped her and shouted at her, leaving Naaz even more distressed.

Raj Kapoor Offered Help For Her To Escape

Naaz’s success in Boot Polish had also brought her close to Raj Kapoor, who produced the film and is said to have ghost-directed it. After seeing her potential, Kapoor reportedly offered to sponsor her education in Switzerland.

He also promised to launch her after she returned. But there was one major obstacle: her mother.

Naaz’s mother reportedly refused the offer because she feared the family would lose its primary source of income while her daughter was away for several years.

“If only my mother had not been so selfish, I would have reached places today,” Naaz said.

The decision would haunt Naaz for years. She discovered the reason behind her parents’ fights

When Naaz was around 12, she learnt that her parents’ troubled marriage had another layer. Her mother was reportedly involved with cameraman Rajendra Malloni and wanted a divorce.

Her father was eventually thrown out of the house, and Naaz spent nearly two years unaware of where he was.

She later spoke bitterly about Malloni, whom she believed had contributed to the breakdown of her family.

She said, “I hated that man. It was because of him that my father had to leave his own house and stay in dirty hotels.”

There was another painful reality. Despite having worked in around 120 films, Naaz had no independent financial security. According to her, the money she had earned had been controlled by her mother.

She shared, “I had no bank balance. Everything, the house, the property, the jewellery, the cash was in my mother’s name.”

She also alleged that Malloni benefited from the wealth she had earned, including using it to arrange marriages for his three daughters.

At 16, She Finally Fought Back

Naaz eventually reached a point where she refused to let her mother dictate her life.

When her mother married Malloni, Naaz refused to live with him. She later tracked down her estranged father and brought him back home.

She also stopped providing financial support to her mother. When her mother later wanted to move in with her after facing difficulties in her marriage, Naaz refused.

For the first time, the child who had spent years earning for everyone else was taking control of her own life.

She Found The Love She Had Not Seen As A Child

Naaz met actor Subiraj in 1960. After dating for five years, the two married in 1965. They faced opposition from their families.

Subiraj belonged to the Kapoor family. His mother was Prithviraj Kapoor’s sister. 

She shared, “He was the first person in my life who tried to understand me, give me a shoulder to cry on, and share my sorrows. He gave me the love and affection I have never known.”

Naaz converted to Hinduism before their marriage and reportedly took the name Anuradha. The couple did not live a lavish life, but Naaz later valued the stability and affection she found in her marriage more than the wealth she had grown up earning.

Fame Never Returned

Naaz continued acting after marriage, appearing in smaller roles in films such as Kati Patang and Sachcha Jhootha. However, the fame she had enjoyed as a child never returned.

When she attempted to secure leading roles as an adult, she claimed that she encountered an industry where actresses were often expected to compromise for opportunities.

She said, “To be very frank, the producers and heroes, except a very few, only want girls who can, along with acting in their films, warm their beds.”

Naaz refused to give in to such demands.

She eventually found work in dubbing, including lending her voice to Sridevi when the actress began working extensively in Hindi films. She also hosted musical programmes to maintain a steady income.

Yet the dream of becoming a major star never disappeared.

“Somehow, at the back of my mind, there always lingers a feeling that one day, a break will come. I’ll get a chance again, when I will be able to prove that I was not just a fluke. I don’t know when I will get the name and fame again, but I will keep trying,” she said.

A Tragic End

That second chance never came.

Naaz died of cancer in 1995 at the age of 53. She had entered showbiz as a four-year-old, become a celebrated child star, worked in around 120 films and stood on the international stage at Cannes.

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