Most beautiful faces of Indian cinema The Indian film industry, in its past and present, has been bringing to our screens faces that keep us mesmerized, faces that could probably give Helen of Troy or even Cleopatra a run for their money. 1. Nargis  'Mother India' Nargis, the first recipient of the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1968 was also the first patron of the Spastic Society of India. She is most remembered for her role in Mother India, and was rumored to have been in a love affair with Raj Kapoor, with whom she had acted in several films. 2. Suraiya  Highest paid female star of the 40s, she had an edge over her contemporaries because she was not only an actress, but a singer too! The first Melody Queen of the industry, she was applauded by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru for putting "life in the soul of 'Mirza Ghalib' (1954)." 3. Meena Kumari  The Tragedy Queen of the 60s – both in reel and real life, Meena Kumari is another actress who has gained cult status in pop culture for her beauty and acting. Her's is a story that began with her not wanting to do movies and ended with excess drinking and death by liver cirrhosis. In between were her memorable movies 'Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam', 'Pakeezah' and many more. 4. Madhubala  One of the most charismatic figures of the 40s and 50s, Madhubala could have made her entry into Hollywood under Frank Capra's direction if it not for her protective father. Even then, her beauty was adored world over, with her appearing for many American magazines. 5. Nutan  Miss India winner at the age of 16, Nutan was another beauty, known for her unconventional roles and powerful performances that won her several awards and accolades. Many actresses took her up as their role model, and with good reason too! "They don't make actresses like her anymore" – we didn't say it, Sanjay Leela Bhansali did. 6. Vyjayanthimala
One of the first South Indian actresses to make it big in Bollywood, she is more than what meets the eye. Carnatic singer, Golfer and Parliamentarian, she earned the title 'Twinkletoes' for her superhit dance numbers. 7. Waheeda Rahman  A Southern beauty that ruled Bollywood in the 60s, Waheeda Rahman is well remembered for many performances in award-winning movies. One of these iconic movies would be 'Guide', where she was paired with Dev Anand, with whom she had acted in a number of films. 8. Helen 
The original item girl of Bollywood, Helen was a beauty par excellence who has inspired books and movies. Anglo-Burmese in descent, she brought in a breath of fresh air into the industry with her exotic looks, and first got her break in the song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu" in 'Howrah Bridge' (1958). 9. Sadhana  A trendsetter, Sadhana was nicknamed The Mystery Girl for her roles in a number of suspense thriller movies. >From her tight churidar-kurtis to her bangs, the actress dripped fashion! After she retired from Bollywood, she has closeted herself in Santa Cruz and refuses to be photographed. She wants to be remembered just the way she was. 10. Tanuja 
Marathi by birth, married to Bengali and having done movies in both languages as well as Gujarati and Hindi – this erstwhile beauty is pan-Indian, to say the least. She took over the big screen with performances in 'Jewel Thief' and 'Paisa Ya Pyar'. 11. Saira Banu  This actress had one dream when she entered Bollywood, and that was to marry the then superstar Dilip Kumar. This she did – and much more! 'Padosan' and 'Junglee' were two of the most memorable movies that we remember her from. Poised and ever-so-graceful, Banu never had classical training in dance or even acting when she became an actress, unlike her contemporaries. But that did not matter a bit – she still sets the sites on fire wherever she goes! 12. Sharmila Tagore  Great-great-grand niece of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, this UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador was the first Indian actress to wear a bikini onscreen in the 1967 hit 'An Evening in Paris'. This set off a trend in Bollywood, and she became a sex symbol. Controversies aside, she achieved cult status for her other films as well – 'Aradhana' and 'Mausam' to name a few. 13. Mumtaz  Next on our list is Mumtaz, whose parents were Iranian. She was one of the highest paid actresses at the peak of her career and has a number of excellent movies to her credit – 'Aaina', 'Patthar Ke Sanam' and 'Aap Ki Kasam' being some of them. 14. Simi Garewal  Actor, producer, director and chat-show hostess, Simi Garewal is more versatile than her contemporaries in her days of acting. One of her movies 'Siddhartha' (1972) could not be released in India because of her nude scene with Shashi Kapoor and kicked up quite a controversy. 15. Hema Malini  Bollywood's 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini is still as ravishing as in her heydays. Accomplished Bharatnatyam dancer and married to Dharmendra, she continues to act and has now marked her territory in politics too. 16. Parveen Babi  One of the most beautiful, albeit most troubled actresses in Indian cinema, Parveen Babi is remembered for her roles in 'Deewar', 'Shaan' and other hits of the 70s. But unfortunately, she will be more remembered for her liaisons and her tragic death, quite some time ago. 17. Shabana Azmi  FTII alumni, Women's rights activist and Parliamentarian, Shabana Azmi's fame precedes her wherever she goes. She has received the National Film Award for Best Actress five times – the highest for any actor. 18. Zeenat Aman  Beauty queen and erstwhile journalist, Zeenat Aman was one of the sexiest stars of her era, her song 'Dum Maro Dum' in the movie 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna' gained cult status over the years. Her mysterious beauty went on to get her on the cover of all the glamour magazines like Stardust and Cine Blitz. 19. Moushumi Chatterjee  This Bong actress is most famous for her award-winning role in the movie 'Roti Kapada Aur Makaan'. She has done both Hindi and Bengali movies, besides dabbling in crossover movies and politics as well. 20. Rekha 
Rekha has long been depicted as a sex symbol of Bollywood. Daughter of actor parents, she proved her acting finesse in movies like 'Umrao Jaan' and 'Khoon Bhari Maang'. She is one of the few actresses who kept reinventing herself for newer movies and looks. 21. Smita Patil  Feminist and leading actress in the Indian New Wave cinema, Smita Patil was not a run-of-the-mill beauty. Her unconventional look and superior acting skills landed her a number of awards, including the National Film Award. 22. Dimple Kapadia  Her role in 'Bobby' catapulted her into instant famedom and for years, the polka dotted dresses and tops she wore in the movie became known as Bobby print! She still continues to act – one of the latest being the role of a typical Punjabi mom for the 2012 movie 'Cocktail'. 23. Neetu Singh  Neetu Singh is most known for the song 'ले कर हम, दीवाना दिल....' in 'Yaadon Ki Baarat' (1973). She was type-cast into usually playing the cheerful girlfriend or daughter. She has appeared in 11 films with her husband and actor Rishi apoor. 24. Sridevi  Some people just don't seem to age – case in point, Sridevi. She looked just as ravishing in 'English Vinglish', after a 15-years-long hiatus from Bollywood. She is as famous in B-town as in the South Indian cinema. Accomplished dancer and a huge number of awards and honors in her kitty, she is regarded as the first female superstar of Bollywood. 25. Madhuri Dixit  The best thing to happen to the 90s in Bollywood, (commonly regarded as the leanest phase of the industry,) was the 'Dhak Dhak' girl Madhuri. A 100-watt smile, superb dance moves and top-notch acting, Madhuri continues to set the screens ablaze, and will be seen in a guest appearance in the upcoming movie 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'.
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