Veteran actress Nimmi passed away at her Mumbai home on Wednesday evening. She was 88 years old and had been in and out of hospital for quite some time, her niece told a daily.
Nimmi's last rites will take place on Thursday afternoon.
The actress, who appeared in films through 1950s and 60s, was born Nawab Banoo. Raj Kapoor gave her her screen name: Nimmi.
Nimmi first lit up the screen in the film Barsaat, in 1949. Her portrayal of an innocent mountain girl struck a chord with the audience and catapulted her to fame.
Over the next years, Nimmi worked with Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand and Dilip Kumar. In 1952, Nimmi starred in Mehboob Khan's big-budget film Aan, alongside Dilip Kumar, Prem Nath and Nadira.
Nimmi was married to writer Ali Raza, who passed away in 2007.
Nimmi was suffering from breathing issues and was admitted to a hospital close to her Juhu home. She had also been losing her memory.
Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt took to Twitter to offer his condolences. He wrote, "'You may win your hearts desire, but in the end you are cheated of it by death.' Goodbye Nimmiji."