Editing Nargis (section)

=== 1955 - 1958: Resurgence and stardom ===
Nargis revived her career with Raj Kapoor's social drama ''[[Shree 420]]'' (1955).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/b-town-rewind-the-tale-of-the-first-bollywood-crore/15162064 |title=B-Town rewind: The tale of the first Bollywood crore - Entertainment |date=16 March 2014 |publisher=Mid-day.com |access-date=2015-09-18 |archive-date=16 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316114251/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/b-town-rewind-the-tale-of-the-first-bollywood-crore/15162064 |url-status=live }}</ref> In the film, Nargis portrays a school teacher who becomes Raj's (played by Kapoor) love interest. It was Nargis' last under Raj Kapoor's direction.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jhingana |first=Kanana |title=Cine Jagat Ki Rasmiyam |publisher=Atmaram & Sons |year=2010 |isbn=9788189373177 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tY0XKR2_JZUC}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Ausaja |first=S. M. M. |title=Bollywood in Posters |publisher=Om Books International |year=2009 |isbn=9788187108559 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vXLFDAAAQBAJ&dq=suraiya+actress&pg=PA1954}}</ref> Commenting on the performance, [[Rediff.com|rediff]] said that "The performances help the film's endorsement of ethical living and high thinking. Nargis' quiet demeanour in the film contrasted with Raj Kapoor's flamboyance". The film was a major blockbuster, emerging as the highest-grossing film in India at the time.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Shree 420 (1955) |url=https://www.pinkvilla.com/photos/nargis-dutt-birthday-special-barsaat-mother-india-late-actor-s-best-performances-759899/shree-420-1955 |access-date=5 September 2021 |website=pinkvilla.com |language=en |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408184905/https://www.pinkvilla.com/photos/nargis-dutt-birthday-special-barsaat-mother-india-late-actor-s-best-performances-759899/shree-420-1955 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

She once again collaborated with Kapoor for the box office success ''[[Chori Chori (1956 film)|Chori Chori]]'' (1956), which revolves around a girl (Nargis) who runs away from her house in order to marry a gold digger pilot ([[Pran (actor)|Pran]]), but ends up falling for a news reporter (Kapoor) whom she meets in a bus.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2013-05-29|title='Chori Chori', 'Half Ticket' - black and white classics now in colour|work=[[Business Standard India]]|url=https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/chori-chori-half-ticket-black-and-white-classics-now-in-colour-113052900880_1.html|access-date=2021-10-27}}</ref> Described by [[ThePrint]] which praised the lead's chemistry.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sharma |first=Unnati |date=24 October 2021 |title=Forget Dil Chahta Hai, Raj Kapoor-Nargis starrer Chori Chori was the first road trip movie |url=https://theprint.in/features/reel-take/forget-dil-chahta-hai-raj-kapoor-nargis-starrer-chori-chori-was-the-first-road-trip-movie/755494/ |access-date=2 May 2023 |website=ThePrint |language=en-US}}</ref> The film was also a major box office success emerging as one of the highest-grossing films of the year. In the same year, she did a special appearance in Kapoor's ''[[Jagte Raho]].'' The film was her last to co-star Raj Kapoor.<ref name="HTPassion20">{{Cite web |first=Nivedita |last=Mishra |date=1 June 2020 |title=On Nargis' 91st birth anniversary, a look at a star who symbolised passion onscreen |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/on-nargis-91st-birth-anniversary-a-look-at-a-star-who-symbolised-passion-onscreen/story-lLfqOlewzBkMYL0NSwOO4J.html |access-date=8 August 2020 |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Bhatia |first=Jagdish |title=Celebrities: A Comprehensive Biographical Thesaurus of Important Men and Women in India |publisher=Aeon Publishers |year=1952 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VqY5AQAAIAAJ&q=Celebrities:+A+Comprehensive+Biographical+Thesaurus+of+Important+Men+and+Women+in+India}}</ref>

In 1957, she appeared in Mehboob Khan's Oscar-nominated epic drama ''[[Mother India]]'', which won her the [[Filmfare Award for Best Actress]].<ref>{{Cite web |first=Tiasa |last=Bhowal |date=27 June 2018 |title=For Sanjay Dutt, Sanju Actress Buys Original Mother India Poster, Featuring Nargis |url=https://www.ndtv.com/entertainment/for-sanjay-dutt-sanju-actress-buys-original-mother-india-poster-featuring-nargis-1874169 |access-date=8 August 2020 |website=NDTV.com}}</ref> [[Baburao Patel]] of the film magazine, ''[[Filmindia]]'', in December 1957, described ''Mother India'' as "the greatest picture produced in India" and wrote that no other actress would have been able to perform the role as well as Nargis.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mishra |first=Vijay |title=Bollywood Cinema: Temples of Desire |year=2002 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-415-93015-4 |page=65}}</ref><ref name="TSGBetter18">{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Surendra |date=12 May 2018 |title=There hasn't been a better actress in India than Nargis |url=https://www.sundayguardianlive.com/culture/hasnt-better-actress-india-nargis |access-date=8 August 2020 |website=The Sunday Guardian Live}}</ref> ''Mother India'' is generally regarded as Nargis's best performance.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/31243045 |title=The Oxford history of world cinema |date=1996 |publisher=Oxford University Press |others=Geoffrey Nowell-Smith |isbn=0-19-811257-2 |location=Oxford |oclc=31243045}}</ref> [[Box Office India]] gave the film's [[Entertainment tax|net collection]] as ₹40 million and its gross as ₹80 million, the highest for an Indian film up until ''[[Mughal-e-Azam]]'' (1960),<ref>{{Cite web |title=50 years later, the 'Mother India' legend endures |url=https://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report-50-years-later-the-mother-india-legend-endures-1129805 |access-date=2 May 2023 |website=DNA India |language=en}}</ref> while estimating that ''Mother India''<nowiki/>'s inflation-adjusted net would be equivalent to ₹1.173 billion in January 2008. Box Office India later estimated in 2017 that ''Mother India'' had over 100 million footfalls at the domestic box office, making it one of the [[List of highest-grossing Indian films|highest-grossing Indian films]] of all time when adjusted for inflation.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bahubali 2 Is The Biggest Hindi Blockbuster This Century - Box Office India |url=https://boxofficeindia.com/report-details.php?articleid=2988 |access-date=2 May 2023 |publisher=Box Office India}}</ref> Nargis won the [[Filmfare Best Actress Award]] in 1958 and became the first Indian to receive the Best Actress award at the [[Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]] in present-day [[Czech Republic]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Roy |first=Parama |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1525/9780520917682 |title=Indian Traffic |date=31 December 1998 |publisher=University of California Press |doi=10.1525/9780520917682 |isbn=978-0-520-91768-2 |s2cid=161807709}}</ref> Also in 1957, she acted in the ''[[Journey Beyond Three Seas|Pardesi]]'' (marketed as ''[[Pardesi (1957 film)|Journey Beyond Three Seas]]'' in English), which was an Indo-[[Soviet Union|Soviet]] [[Co-production (media)|co-production]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Thompson |first=Howard |date=11 April 1960 |title=Screen: Adventure Story:' Journey Beyond Three Seas' at the Cameo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/04/11/archives/screen-adventure-story-journey-beyond-three-seas-at-the-cameo.html |access-date=8 August 2020 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> After her marriage to Sunil Dutt in 1958, Nargis gave up her film career to settle down with her family, after her last few films were released.<ref name="HT39thAnniversary20">{{Cite web |date=3 May 2020 |title=On Nargis's 39th death anniversary, here are some lesser-known facts about the legendary actor |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/bollywood/on-nargis-s-39th-death-anniversary-here-are-some-lesser-known-facts-about-the-legendary-actor/story-Su7OsWuGDN1PcoPqH0kiPI.html |access-date=8 August 2020 |website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> From 1951 to 1957, [[Box Office India]] ranked Nargis as the top actress.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 January 2013 |title=Boxofficeindia.com |url=http://boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actress |access-date=2 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115031434/http://boxofficeindia.com/cpages.php?pageName=top_actress |archive-date=15 January 2013}}</ref>