MUMBAI: Actor Kamini Kaushal, one of Hindi cinema's earliest female stars who began her career with the classic "Neecha Nagar" in 1946 and went on to act in a host of films right till 2022, has died in her Mumbai home, a close family friend said. She was 98.

Once the industry's highest paid actresses, Kaushal starred opposite the triumvirate of Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor. Her last screen appearance was in Aamir Khan's 2022 film "Laal Singh Chaddha" at the age of 95.

"She died at her Mumbai home late on Thursday night. She would have turned 99 in February," Sajan Narain, a close friend of the family, told PTI.

The "Shaheed" and "Aag" actor is survived by three sons -- Shravan, Vidur and Rahul.