Google Doodle celebrates iconic Indian actor Zohra Segal

Google today paid a special tribute to the late Zohra Segal, an iconic Indian actress and dancer.

“Today’s #GoogleDoodle celebrates Padma Shri winner, actor, dancer and legend Zohra Segal. On this day in 1946, her film “Neecha Nagar” released at the Cannes Film Festival and was considered India's first international critical success,” Google tweeted.

The tech giant’s Google Doodle for Indian users was illustrated by guest artist Parvati Pillai.

Segal was one of India’s first female actors to “truly achieve recognition on the international stage.”

“Widely considered Indian cinema’s first international critical success, “Neecha Nagar” won the festival's highest honor: the Palme d’Or prize,” Google wrote in a blog post on the doodle.

“Zohra Segal is admired across generations for her acting and loveable personality. She overcame social and cultural stereotypes with her sheer tenacity and infectious passion from a very young age. She is an inspiration not just for women everywhere, but for anyone who wants to follow their own path!” said Pillai.

Born on April 27, 1912, in Saharanpur, British India, Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-ullah Khan had received multiple accolades in her lifetime including the Padma Shri (1998), the Kalidas Samman (2001), and the Padma Vibhushan (2010).

To the younger generation, Segal is well known for her roles including Amitabh Bachchan’s mother in “Cheeni Kum,” the charming grandmother of Shah Rukh Khan in “Dil Se” and “Tandoori Nights.” She was also part of the Salman Khan starrer “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam;” Segal was last seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Sawariyaa” (2007).

Segal had built her profile in the international domain with roles in British television classics like “Doctor Who“ and the 1984 miniseries “The Jewel in the Crown.”

She also starred in the 2002 film ”Bend it Like Beckham,” and continued to act well into her 90s.

She passed away at the age of 102 at her Delhi residence on July 10, 2014.

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