PERSIS KHAMBATTA, THE ORIGINAL DESI GIRL IN PARDES
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Decades before Priyanka Chopra won the West, Persis Khambatta was the OG who did it all
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Born in Mumbai in 1948, Persis won the Miss India crown in 1965 and then became a model
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She Began As A Beauty Queen
After a debut in 1968's Bambai Raat Ki Baahon Mein, Persis had small roles in Hollywood films like The Wilby Conspiracy
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Bollywood, Then Hollywood
Persis Khambatta was cast as the shaven-headed navigator, Lieutenant Ilia, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture
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1979 - Her Most Famous Role
Star billing went to William Shatner (Captain Kirk) and Leonard Nimoy (Spock) but Persis' look as Ilia became iconic
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Persis Khambatta made a handful of other films, including Nighthawks with Sylvester Stallone
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Persis was a fixture on the Hollywood scene. She went to the Golden Globes and the Oscars, even presenting one
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She Was A Bona Fide Star
Persis Khambatta was briefly married to actor Cliff Taylor, divorcing after two months
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In 1998, Persis Khambatta died of a heart attack in Mumbai. She was only 49
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A Brief But Glorious Life
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