When Danny Ben-Moshe read an obituary for acclaimed Hindi cinema actor Nadira in 2006, he noticed two things. Florence Ezekiel was one of her real names. The other was her “raunchy vamp” persona, as he put it.
Nadira was one of the last Jewish actors in Hindi cinema, according to the Australian filmmaker’s research. Sulochana (Ruby Meyers), Pramila (Esther Victoria Abraham), and Rose Musleah were among a lengthy list of Jewish men and women who changed their names after getting into the movie business. Many of the characters were Baghdadi Jews with Iraqi ancestors. Kenneth X Robbins writes, “Indian cinema owes a significant debt of gratitude to the Baghdadi Jewish community.” “Its ladies were the first to act in films, putting their reputations on the line at a period when women’s engagement in the performing arts was frowned upon. The majority of India’s film stars during the silent era were Jewish. But, except a few, they were unable to continue their lucrative careers after talkies were launched since, due to their Anglicised upbringing, they were unable to deliver dialogues in Hindi.” Others, such as David, were from the Bene Israeli community.
