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Born Sahibzadi Zohra Begum Mumtaz-Ullah Khan on April 27, 1912 in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Zohra Sehgal began her career as a dancer with Uday Shankar in 1935 and performed across Japan, Egypt, Europe and the U.S. In this April 2012 photo, Zohra Sehgal reacts while cutting a cake on her 100th birthday in New Delhi. Photo: PTI Photo: PTI

Considered the doyenne of Indian theatre, Zohra Sehgal was associated with the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor’s Prithvi Theatre for 14 years. She choreographed for a few Hindi films as well, including classics like Guru Dutt’s “Baazi” (1951) and the dream sequence song in Raj Kapoor’s film “Awaara”.In this June 13, 2009 photo, Zohra Sehgal gets emotional during a meeting in the memory of eminent theatre personality and another IPTA veteran Habib Tanvir at Abhimanch Theatre, NSD, in New Delhi. Photo: The Hindu Photo: Shanker Chakravarty

After her husband Kameshwar Sehgal’s death in 1952, Zohra Sehgal first moved to Delhi and then to London on a drama scholarship in 1962, where she appeared in many TV productions including “The Jewel in the Crown”, “Tandoori Nights” and “My Beautiful Laundrette”.In this January 07, 2009 photo, Zohra Sehgal is seen at the inauguration of the 11th Bharat Rang Mahotsav festival at Kamani Auditorium in New Delhi. Photo: The Hindu Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma.

Zohra Sehgal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998 and the Kalidas Samman in 2001. The Sangeet Natak Akademi presented her with its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship in 2004. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honour in 2010. In this April 2010 photo, then President Pratibha Patil presents the Padma Vibhushan to Zohra Segal. Photo: PTI Photo: PTI

Hailing from a traditional Muslim family, Zohra Sehgal defied stereotypes by turning an actor. When she joined Mary Wigman’s ballet school in Dresden, Germany, she was the first Indian to do so. In this April 18, 2007 photo, Zohra Sehgal performs in a play "City of Djinns" written by William Dalrymple, in New Delhi. Photo: PTI

In this Apriil 27, 2012 photo, Zohra Segal is seen with her daughter Kiran Sehgal at the release of the latter's book "Zohra Sehgal: Fatty", which was a lovable jibe at her mother for her obsession with looking thin. Photo: The Hindu Photo: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

A rare photo of Zohra Sehgal with Uday Shankar's wife Amala Shankar at Uday Shankar's dance centre in Almora. Photo: The Hindu Archives Photo: Handout.