Before ‘Raazi’, the Women Spies Who Rocked Bollywood

Talk about deadly dudettes!

Fearless Nadia, Alia Bhatt in Raazi and Katrina Kaif in Ek Tha Tiger. 

Raazi, directed by Meghna Gulzar, is all set to release on 11 May. Based on Harinder Sikka’s novel Calling Sehmat and produced by Karan Johar and Junglee Pictures, the film is inspired by a true story, and revolves around a Kashmiri girl who marries into a Pakistani family to act as a spy for India. Raazi is set against the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war and has Alia Bhatt in the role of the spy.

But Alia is not the first actor to play a woman spy in Bollywood films. Remember these deadly ladies?

Fearless Nadia in Khilari (1968)

A poster of Khilari.

One of the original action queen’s last hits, Khilari saw Fearless Nadia play ”Agent Madam XI”. As a kickass spy, she grooms and protects Pratap or Agent 707 (Dilip Raj), who is out to ensure the release of a kidnapped atomic scientist. From oft-changing disguises to explaining the funda behind bulletproof jackets, Nadia does it all in style.

Mala Sinha in Aankhen (1968)

A poster of Aankhen. 

Considered to be a pioneer of the genre in Hindi films, Aankhen had Dharmendra - who was still to find his footing in the industry - and the then huge star Mala Sinha as the lead pair. The action takes place mostly in Beirut and has Sinha playing an undercover agent. Aankhen was the biggest hit of the year.

Priya Rajvansh in Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973)

A poster of the film. 

Priya Rajvansh plays an Indian spy in one of her double roles in this action-thriller set against the 1971 armed conflict between Indian Air Force operations and their Pakistan counterpart. The film made more of a mark because of the aerial action sequences than its rather deadpan leading stars, Raaj Kumar and Rajvansh.

Preity Zinta in The Hero: Love Story of a Spy (2003)

A poster of the film. 

Now Raazi reminds me a lot of The Hero: Love Story of a Spy, in which Preity, again an innocent Kashmiri girl, trains and works as a maid-cum-spy across the border. The main difference is of course that Preity is driven more by romantic love than patriotism, and unlike Alia’s character in Raazi, doesn’t marry into a Pakistani family.

Katrina Kaif in Ek Tha Tiger (2012)

Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan in a still from Ek Tha Tiger. (Photo Courtesy: YRF)

Katrina Kaif plays the Lara Croft-esque Pakistani spy, Zoya who falls in love with an Indian RAW agent - a la Salman Khan - in this action thriller. Things of course go south once the spies choose love over their jobs.

Kareena Kapoor in Agent Vinod (2012)

In what is a stylish but strictly average film, Kareena Kapoor plays ISI agent, Iram who questions her allegiance once she discovers herself to be pawn in the larger game. And throws in mujras for effect. Though not exactly a spy, she turned in a much more memorable performance in Kurbaan, where she passes on information to the police about an agent who she falls in love with.

Taapsee Pannu in Naam Shabana (2017)

Taapsee Pannu in a still of Naam Shabana. (Photo courtesy: Hardly Anonymous Communications)

Reportedly based on a real character, Taapsee Pannu in Baby and Naam Shabana plays a young girl who is identified as a potential undercover agent and then trains to become one, before going on a mission to assassinate a deadly arms dealer.

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