Nalini Jaywant, the first cousin of Shobhana Samarth, became the pioneering Hindi actress to don a swimsuit.
Contrary to popular belief, it is often assumed that Sharmila Tagore was the first Bollywood actress to wear a bikini in films like An Evening In Paris (1967) and Aamne Saamne (1967). However, the actual fact is that the first Indian actress to wear a bikini was Meenakshi Shirodkar in a Marathi film titled Brahmachari (1938).
Meenakshi Shirodkar, who happens to be the grandmother of Shilpa and Namrata Shirodkar, wore a swimsuit in the song Yamuna jali khelu khel where she portrayed a seductive role alongside her co-star, Master Vinayak.
As per reports, the song was also dubbed in Hindi, leading to Meenakshi gaining popularity. She went on to collaborate with Master Vinayak in numerous films such as Brandichi Batli (1939), Ardhangi / Ghar Ki Rani (1940), Amrut (1941), Mazhe Bal (1943), and many others.
Nalini Jaywant, the first cousin of Shobhana Samarth, is the first Hindi actress to wear a swimsuit. She sported a swimsuit in the film Sangram, released in 1950. In the movie, Nalini was paired with Ashok Kumar.
According to Filmfare, Nargis became another Hindi actress to wear a swimsuit in the film Awara (1951).
Nutan created quite a buzz when she wore a swimsuit in the comedy film Dilli Ka Thug (1958). Her choice to don a swimsuit was unexpected and drew attention since it deviated from her usual image. In the movie, Nutan portrayed the character of a swimmer.
