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Zohra Sehgal (27 April 1912 – 10 July 2014) was an Indian actress and choreographer.〔 Sehgal started her career as a dancer in Uday Shankar's troupe, performing in countries like the United States and Japan. She went on to appear in numerous Bollywood films as a character actress with a career-span of over 60 years. The famous films she was part of, include Neecha Nagar, Afsar (1946), ''Bhaji on the Beach'' (1992), ''The Mystic Masseur'' (2001), ''Bend It Like Beckham'' (2002), ''Dil Se..'' (1998), ''Saawariya'' and ''Cheeni Kum'' (2007); and the TV series, ''The Jewel in the Crown'' (1984), ''Tandoori Nights'' (1985–87), ''Amma and Family'' (1996).〔(Zohra Sehgal ) Britannica.com.〕 At the age of 90, she played the central character in the 2002 film ''Chalo Ishq Ladaaye''. Considered the doyenne of Indian theatre, she acted with Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre for 14 years.〔("Zohra Sehgal: Naughty in her 90s!" ), ''The Times of India'', 8 March 2009.〕 She has also acted in English-speaking films such as ''Bend It Like Beckham''. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998, Kalidas Samman in 2001, and in 2004, the Sangeet Natak Akademi. India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama presented her with its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honor, in 2010. She died in a New Delhi hospital on 10 July 2014 due to cardiac arrest.〔 ==Early life and education== She was born as Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan on 27 April 1912 into a traditional Muslim family in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India, to Mumtazullah Khan and Natiqua Begum, belonging to a Rohilla Pathan family of Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, India. She was third of seven children – Zakullah, Hajrah, Ikramullah, Uzra (Uzra Butt), Anna and Sabira – and grew up in Chakrata, now in Uttarakhand (near Dehradun). She was a tomboy fond of climbing trees and playing games. Zohra lost vision in her left eye as she contracted glaucoma at the age of one year. She was referred to a hospital in Birmingham where she was treated at a cost of £300. She lost her mother while still young. In accordance with their mother's wishes, she and her sister were sent to Queen Mary College, Lahore. Strict purdah was observed there and the few males invited to speak did so from behind a screen.〔(Zohra Sehgal: The drama of life ) ''The Times of India'', 24 August 2003.〕 As a result of seeing her sister's failed marriage, she decided to pursue a career, rather than get married.〔(Zohra Sehgal: ninety years young ) Daily Times, 8 January 2003.〕〔("Ninety and spunky" ), ''The Hindu'', 19 December 2002.〕 Upon graduating, her maternal uncle, Sahebzada Saeeduzzafar Khan, who was based in Edinburgh,〔He was the first Indian principal of Lucknow Medical College.〕 arranged for her to apprentice under a British actor. They started from Lahore by car and, en route, crossed Iran, Palestine, before reaching Damascus, Syria, where she met her cousin. Then they traveled into Egypt and caught a boat to Europe in Alexandria. In Europe, her aunt Dicta took her to try in the Mary Wigman's ballet school in Dresden, Germany, but she had not ever danced, having lived in purdah for so long. Nevertheless, she got admission and became the first Indian to study at the institution.〔(Kiran Sehgal ) ''India's dances: their history, technique, and repertoire'', by Reginald Massey. Abhinav Publications, 2004; ISBN 81-7017-434-1 p. 22.〕 She stayed in Dresden for the next three years studying modern dance, while living in the house of Countess Liebenstein. She happened to watch the ''Shiv-Parvati'' ballet by Uday Shankar who was touring Europe. This was to change her life forever as, impressed by the performance, she went back stage to meet Uday Shankar, who promised her a job on her return to India, at the completion of her course.〔("The dashing dadima: Zohra Sehgal" ), ''The Times of India'', 8 April 2001.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Zohra Sehgal」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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