Persis Khambatta
Encyclopedia
Persis Khambatta was an India
n model, actress and author. She was best known for her role as Lieutenant Ilia in the 1979 feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture
.
contest in 1965.
, dressed in off-the-rack clothes she bought at the last minute. Khambatta became a model for companies such as Revlon
. In 1975, she had small roles in Conduct Unbecoming
and The Wilby Conspiracy
. She went on to a brief movie career that included the role for which she is most recognized, as bald navigator Lieutenant Ilia, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). This led to roles in Nighthawks
(1981), Megaforce
(1982) and Warrior of the Lost World
(1983). She was considered for the title role in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), but was passed over for Maud Adams
.
Khambatta made her Hindi film début in director KA Abbas's Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1967). Khambatta was the cabaret singer Lily who croons the film's title track.
Khambatta became the first citizen of India to present an Academy Award
in 1980. She was nominated for Saturn Award
Best Actress for her Star Trek role.
Khambatta was seriously injured in a car crash in Germany in 1980, which left her with a large scar on her head. She underwent a heart bypass operation in 1983. She returned to Bombay in 1985, and appeared as a character in the Hindi television series Shingora. Soon after, Khambatta returned to Hollywood and performed in guest roles on various television series such as Mike Hammer
and MacGyver
. In 1997 she wrote and published a coffee table book
, Pride of India, which featured several former Miss Indias. The book was dedicated to Mother Teresa
, and part of the royalties went to the Missionaries of Charity
. Her final appearance in an acting part was that of an Indian ambassador in the 1993 pilot episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
on 18 August 1998 at the age of 49. Her funeral was held in Mumbai on 19 August.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n model, actress and author. She was best known for her role as Lieutenant Ilia in the 1979 feature film Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a 1979 American science fiction film released by Paramount Pictures. It is the first film based on the Star Trek television series. The film is set in the twenty-third century, when a mysterious and immensely powerful alien cloud called V'Ger approaches the Earth,...
.
Early Life
Persis Khambatta was born into a middle-class Parsee home in Bombay in 1948. She first gained fame when a set of her pictures casually taken by a well-known Bombay photographer were used for a successful campaign for a popular soap brand and eventually to Khambatta's becoming a model. She entered and won the Miss IndiaMiss India
Miss India or Femina Miss India is a national beauty pageant in India, one of the most recognized contests to produce international beauty queens in the 90s, which annually selects three winners to compete globally. It is organized by Femina, a women's magazine published by Bennett, Coleman & Co...
contest in 1965.
Career
At age 17, as Femina Miss India, Khambatta entered Miss Universe 1965Miss Universe 1965
Miss Universe 1965, the 14th Miss Universe pageant, was won by 18-year-old Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand. It took place on 24 July 1965 at the Miami Beach Auditorium in Miami Beach, Florida, USA.-Placements:-Special awards:-Contestants:...
, dressed in off-the-rack clothes she bought at the last minute. Khambatta became a model for companies such as Revlon
Revlon
Revlon is an American cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company founded in 1932.-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the Revlon name...
. In 1975, she had small roles in Conduct Unbecoming
Conduct Unbecoming (film)
Conduct Unbecoming is a 1975 British drama film, an adaptation of the Barry England play Conduct Unbecoming first staged in 1969. It was directed by Michael Anderson and starred an ensemble cast of actors including Michael York, Richard Attenborough and Trevor Howard.-Plot:Two young British...
and The Wilby Conspiracy
The Wilby Conspiracy
The Wilby Conspiracy is a 1975 thriller film directed by Ralph Nelson and filmed in Kenya. It was written by Rodney Amateau, based on the 1972 novel by Peter Driscoll...
. She went on to a brief movie career that included the role for which she is most recognized, as bald navigator Lieutenant Ilia, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979). This led to roles in Nighthawks
Nighthawks (film)
Nighthawks is a 1981 thriller film starring Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, Rutger Hauer, Lindsay Wagner, Persis Khambatta, and Nigel Davenport. It was directed by Bruce Malmuth. The original music score was composed by Keith Emerson.-Storyline:...
(1981), Megaforce
Megaforce
Megaforce is an action film made in 1982 directed by former stuntman Hal Needham. The film starred Barry Bostwick, Persis Khambatta, Michael Beck, Edward Mulhare, Evan C...
(1982) and Warrior of the Lost World
Warrior of the Lost World
Warrior of the Lost World is a 1983 Italian post-apocalyptic science fiction film written and directed by David Worth starring Robert Ginty, Persis Khambatta, and Donald Pleasence...
(1983). She was considered for the title role in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983), but was passed over for Maud Adams
Maud Adams
Maud Solveig Christina Wikström , known professionally as Maud Adams, is a Swedish actress, known for her roles as two different Bond girls: in The Man with the Golden Gun , and as the title character in Octopussy .-Early life:Adams was born Maud Solveig Christina Wikström in Luleå, Sweden, the...
.
Khambatta made her Hindi film début in director KA Abbas's Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1967). Khambatta was the cabaret singer Lily who croons the film's title track.
Khambatta became the first citizen of India to present an Academy Award
52nd Academy Awards
The 52nd Academy Awards were presented April 14, 1980 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The ceremonies were presided over by Johnny Carson, who in noting the long duration of the production, joked that President Jimmy Carter was working hard for their "release" from the ceremonies, a...
in 1980. She was nominated for Saturn Award
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
Best Actress for her Star Trek role.
Khambatta was seriously injured in a car crash in Germany in 1980, which left her with a large scar on her head. She underwent a heart bypass operation in 1983. She returned to Bombay in 1985, and appeared as a character in the Hindi television series Shingora. Soon after, Khambatta returned to Hollywood and performed in guest roles on various television series such as Mike Hammer
Mike Hammer
Michael "Mike" Hammer is a fictional detective created by the American author Mickey Spillane in the 1947 book I, the Jury .-Description:...
and MacGyver
MacGyver
MacGyver is an American action-adventure television series created by Lee David Zlotoff. Henry Winkler and John Rich were the executive producers. The show ran for seven seasons on ABC in the United States and various other networks abroad from 1985 to 1992. The series was filmed in Los Angeles...
. In 1997 she wrote and published a coffee table book
Coffee table book
A coffee table book is a hardcover book that is intended to sit on a coffee table or similar surface in an area where guests sit and are entertained, thus inspiring conversation or alleviating boredom. They tend to be oversized and of heavy construction, since there is no pressing need for...
, Pride of India, which featured several former Miss Indias. The book was dedicated to Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa , born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu , was a Roman Catholic nun of Albanian ethnicity and Indian citizenship, who founded the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India, in 1950...
, and part of the royalties went to the Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity
Missionaries of Charity is a Roman Catholic religious congregation established in 1950 by Mother Teresa of Calcutta, which consists of over 4,500 sisters and is active in 133 countries...
. Her final appearance in an acting part was that of an Indian ambassador in the 1993 pilot episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.
Death
In 1998, Khambatta was taken to the Marine Hospital in south Mumbai, complaining of chest pains. She died of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
on 18 August 1998 at the age of 49. Her funeral was held in Mumbai on 19 August.
External links
- http://www.persiskhambatta.com
- http://www.answers.com/topic/persis-khambatta
- Persis Khambatta - In Memoriam