With her large, limpid brown eyes, statuesque figure, and seductively deep voice, she was one of the world’s best-known actresses and sex symbols in the 1950s and 1960s, especially in evergreen classics like “Come September” – but Gina Lollobrigida, who passed away at 95 on Monday, made waves beyond her onscreen prowess in other fields too, and figured in the headlines long after she walked off-stage.

And she had an Indian connection too.

Termed the “Mona Lisa of the 20th Century” and “The Most Beautiful Woman in the World”, Gina Lollobrigida was also more informally called “La Lollo” – a nickname also later adopted by Indian actress Karisma Kapoor.

And while the theme of one of her most famous films continues to strike a chord with Indians of the right age and can still be heard at weddings, Gina nearly became part of Bollywood’s first attempt at an international hit.

Tipped...