The stunning Leela Naidu renowned for her timeless beauty starred alongside Shashi Kapoor in the 1963 film The Householder. Known for her elegance she was listed among the worlds most beautiful women for a decade. At the age of 14 she was crowned Miss India marking the beginning of a remarkable journey. Despite receiving offers from the legendary filmmaker Raj Kapoor she declined to work in his films. Instead she chose to collaborate with Hrishikesh Mukherjee and her very first film Anuradha (1960) went on to win a National Award. Leela Naidu was born in Mumbai to a distinguished family- her father was a nuclear scientist and her mother was a French journalist. Though born in India she was raised and educated in Switzerland. Passionate about acting from an early age she learned her craft under the guidance of French actor Jean Renoir.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Timeless Indian Melodies (@timelessindianmelodies) Upon returning to India with her family Leela achieved a remarkable milestone at just 14 by winning the Femina Miss India title. At the age of 17 she married Tilak Raj Son of Mohan Singh Oberoi founder of the Oberoi Hotel chain. A year into marriage she gave birth to twin daughters. However their relationship was short-lived ending in just two years with Tilak gaining custody of the children. After separating from her husband Leela made her film debut with Hrishikesh Mukherjees Anuradha which went on to earn National Award. She remained active in the film industry for nine years but as her movies failed to succeed she stepped away from acting. She later married writer Dom Moriam and travelled across various countries with him. Unfortunately her second marriage also ended in separation leaving her devastated. Heartbroken she withdrew herself from social life and began living in an old house in Colaba. As financial struggles rose she started renting out the property to sustain herself. Over time her life took a downward turn and she became an alcohol addict. She eventually stopped stepping out altogether and on July 28 2009 the actress passed away due to lung failure.