Biography
Persis Khambatta was an Indian actress and model. Born in Bombay in 1948, she won the Femina Miss India title in 1965 and worked as a model before appearing in films including The Wilby Conspiracy (1975).
She is best known for portraying Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), shaving her head for the role. The performance brought a Saturn Award nomination. Subsequent credits include Nighthawks (1981), Megaforce (1982) and Warrior of the Lost World (1983), together with guest roles in series such as MacGyver. In 1980 she became the first Indian citizen to present an Academy Award. Khambatta died in Mumbai in 1998.
