https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Sabira_MerchantSabira Merchant - Revision history2026-10-29T20:43:24ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.6https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sabira_Merchant&diff=531574&oldid=prevBanti: Starting Entry2026-03-19T18:43:43Z<p>Starting Entry</p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Indian actress and etiquette trainer}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2018}}<br />
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2018}}<br />
{{Infobox person<br />
| name = Sabira Merchant<br />
| image = <!-- just the filename, without the File: or Image: prefix or enclosing [[brackets]] --><br />
| alt = <br />
| caption = <br />
| birth_name = <br />
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1942|8|4}}<br />
| birth_place = Bombay ([[Mumbai]])<br />
| death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} or {{Death-date and age|Month DD, YYYY|Month DD, YYYY}} (death date then birth date) --><br />
| death_place = <br />
| other_names = <br />
| known_for = Etiquette training<br />
| occupation = <br />
| father = [[Abdulhusein M. Thariani]]<br />
}}<br />
'''Sabira Merchant''' (née Vazirali) (born 4 August 1942) is a Miss India trainer and actor based in Mumbai.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/Class-Act/article15386181.ece | title=Class Act | date=31 July 2008 | newspaper=The Hindu | accessdate=9 September 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.indianexpress.com/Storyold/16620/|title = Weekend Retreat with Sabira Merchant|date = 27 December 1997}}</ref> She is a top etiquette trainer in India.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/VVkvHnvHBYoUWRJOQ0wcpM/Sorry-chief-minister.html|title = Sorry, chief minister!|date = 16 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/features/business/a-smooth-finish-dressing-for-success/articleshow/6801506.cms|title=A smooth finish- Dressing for success|newspaper=The Economic Times|last1=Amarnath|first1=Nupur}}</ref><br />
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==Background==<br />
Merchant was born in [[Bombay]] to Goolshen and [[Abdulhusein M. Thariani]], the fifth child. She was adopted by her maternal uncle and given the surname, Vazirali. She was sent to a finishing school in Switzerland. She is married to Chotu Merchant.<br />
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==Career==<br />
She started acting as a theatre artiste in Bombay. In the 70's, she became very popular on the television with her show ''What’s the good word?'', which ran for a record 15 years on [[Doordarshan]]. The theme music for the show was Glenn Miller's version of [[American Patrol]]<br />
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She later became a trainer and was very successful. She played the enchantress, Madame Manaeksha, in the BBC production ''Six steps to happiness''. She has trained famous celebrities like [[Priyanka Chopra]], [[Lara Dutta]] and many more on international beauty pageants.<br />
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Her memoir, ''A Full Life'', was published in 2022.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Merchant |first1=Sabira |last2=Parekh |first2=Mitali |title=A Full Life |date=2022 |publisher=Jaico Publishing House |location=Mumbai}}</ref><br />
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She is also featured in the documentary "The world before her", as she is training young women for Miss India pageant.<br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
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==External links==<br />
* [http://www.sabiramerchant.net/ sabira merchant.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113230032/http://www.sabiramerchant.net/ |date=13 January 2017 }}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Merchant, Sabira}}<br />
[[Category:1942 births]]<br />
[[Category:Actresses from Mumbai]]<br />
[[Category:Living people]]<br />
[[Category:21st-century Indian actresses]]<br />
[[Category:Indian Ismailis]]<br />
[[Category:Khoja Ismailis]]<br />
[[Category:Etiquette writers]]<br />
[[Category:Gujarati people]]<br />
[[Category:Indian women memoirists]]<br />
[[Category:Indian memoirists]]</div>Banti