Curated for Pride Library, University of Western Ontorio, Canada
Copyright Sridhar Rangayan, 2009
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DISCLAIMER: All interpretations and readings is by the author. All the images and videos on this site have been used only for reference, collated from sources on the internet.
CREDITS
Title: Fearless - The Hunterwali Story
Year: 1993
Language: English & Hindi
Subtitle: English
Genre: Feature
Duration: 62 mins
Director: Riyad Vinci Wadia
SYNOPSIS
From 1935 to 1959, Fearless Nadia was the whip cracking, pistol-packing, singing, dancing, daredevil queen of the Indian screen. Riyad Wadia's spectacular biography of India's legendary stunt actress captures the unique persona of the Australian-born femme-firecracker who thrilled audiences with her daring portrayals of fearless, rough-and-ready heroines. From her first starring role as Hunterwali (The Lady with the Whip), through such hits as Diamond Queen, Lady Robinhood, and Jungle Goddess, Nadia dominated the Indian box office. A buxom woman of androgyne beauty she was (she died in 1997) John Wayne, Bette Midler, Mae West, Zorro, and Buster Keaton all rolled in one!
QUEER NOTES
The first true feminist of Indian cinema, Nadia's physical prowess and selfless fearlessness made her an idol for the oppressed peasantry of pre-Independence India (as she preached tolerance and secularism) and challenged the male chauvinism of the day. Not a lesbian herself, but certainly a strong feminist, Nadia's exploits should be immensely enjoyable to lesbian and gay audiences for her charm, charisma, and, of course, camp value.
"She was a big, butch Zorro-type who socked men in the jaw and leapt around with a whip."--Variety
ACTOR/S IN QUEER ROLE
Fearless Nadia as herself (gender reversal)
LINKS
Imdb: www.imdb.com/title/tt0106882/
queer portrayals in Indian films