persis khambatta star trek motion picture

Creating Lieutenant Ilia

Gene Roddenberry created the character of Ilia for the aborted second Star Trek television series Phase II . The show’s 1977 bible described the young navigator as “breathtakingly beautiful” and second in intelligence only to the ship’s Vulcan science officer. (Leonard Nimoy hadn’t been interested in reprising his role as Spock for television but was persuaded to return for The Motion Picture .)

Her smooth, slender bare head has the almost sensually quality of delicately contoured nudity, always hidden before in other women. It gives her a striking, almost “Egyptian” look, particularly when wearing a Deltan jewel-band head ornament.

The Deltans set up an interesting contrast with the Vulcans. They could not mind meld but rather sense the emotions and thoughts of others in the form of images. Whereas the Vulcans repressed their feelings, Deltans were extremely sensual:

On 114-Delta V, almost everything in life is sex-oriented; it is a part of every friendship, every social engagement, every profession. It is simply the normal way to relate with others there.

This is the origin of the “oath of celibacy” Ilia had to take before joining Starfleet.

Costume designer Bob Fletcher borrowed heavily from the Phase II bible in his own notes for The Motion Picture , which he shared with Fantastic Films and Starlog magazines in early 1980. (Links point to scanned version of the interviews by My Star Trek Scrapbook .) He described the Deltans as “poised, proud, somewhat aloof, but with a keen sense of humor.”

Achieved Earth’s technology 100 centuries ago, but then turned away from the materialism of technology toward the richer rewards of self-realization. Have learned to live each moment of life to the fullest. Unlike the Vulcans, they value and delight in emotion. A sensual race, their senses are far more sensitive than humans.

Fletcher suggested the reason Deltans make such excellent navigators is that their highly evolved intelligence can “handle the most complex spherical trigonometric complexities of space navigation as easily as a human learns simple multiplication tables.”

He also described the Deltans as great jewelry makers:

Their jewelry is sold throughout the galaxy and is very popular.

In several of the costume and makeup tests that were shot for what was then still Phase II , Persis Khambatta, the Indian actress who had been cast in the role of Ilia, can be seen wearing various pieces of jewelry.

Khambatta told Star Trek Communicator in an interview that was published in December 1998 — four months after her death from a heart attack at the age of 49 — that hundreds of actresses had tested for the role:

There were a lot of women with hair that looked really stunning, but when you remove the hair they somehow lose the look. Basically, they had asked me if I would shave my head or wear a bald cap. I said look, if you are doing a series for five years I would want to shave my hair because I would go bald with all the gum and glue from the bald cap. Besides, a bald cap would have never looked real.

She told People magazine in January 1980 ( My Star Trek Scrapbook has the original version , with pictures) that she seldom wore wigs or hats during production. “I thought I was very pretty without hair,” but — “some people must have thought I was an exhibitionist or religious fanatic.”

Khambatta’s skimpy outfit as the V’Ger-controlled Ilia probe was the actress’ idea.

“I was supposed to wear one of those same grey uniforms,” she told Star Trek Communicator .

[B]eing bald and wearing that grey starship uniform, I would have looked like a boy. I wanted to look like a sexy female.

Khambatta’s unique look was an ubiquitous part of the movie’s advertising campaign. Film critic Jordan Hoffman writes for the official Star Trek website that back in 1979, a woman with no hair was still quite a shocker:

Indeed, Khambatta’s real-life head-shave was enough of a news item that it was filmed for promotional purposes.

Desperate their elaborate backstory, Deltans were seldom seen in Star Trek again. But they were reinvented. The Next Generation introduced the empathetic Betazoids, which were based on the Deltans. The character of Deanna Troi, and her history with First Officer Will Riker, was based on Ilia and her relationship with Will Decker.

It was always a shame that the Deltans were not used in subsequent productions of Trek (big screen or small).

Thank you for this insightful report on this pivotal actor/actress (politically correct wasn’t “in” then) to the Trek universe and her character’s link to Star Trek: The Next Generation . The movie demonstrated some of our frst concerns over AI and is still relevant today. Her dedication to her role and her craft was important. May Pariss Khambatta NEVER be forgotten!

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The Motion Picture, A Convention and Persis Khambatta

StarTrek.com

Do you remember where you were when you first saw Star Trek: The Motion Picture ?

I’ll pause for a paragraph while you reflect.

I scurried to a theater in my then-Pennsylvania locale to see it in December, 1979. Considering the moviemaker behind the camera -- Robert Wise, director of The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Andromeda Strain, The Body Snatcher and Run Silent, Run Deep , whose career ignited when, as a young film editor, he edited Citizen Kane -- ST:TMP is a lesser effort. But I still enjoyed the movie. It was awe-inspiring to watch Scotty unveil the new Enterprise to Jerry Goldsmith’s fabulous musical score (so good it was later resurrected for The Next Generation ). I loved seeing The Original Series crew again, albeit in those silly modern uniforms. And then there was Persis Khambatta, strikingly beautiful as the bald alien Lt. Ilia.

Khambatta was a former Miss India and a model-turned-actress when she got her big break as Ilia, the Deltan navigator and love interest to Captain Will Decker (Stephen Collins). Her other major movie roles came in Nighthawks (a surprisingly good thriller) and Megaforce (a startlingly mediocre adventure that, bizarrely, landed the cover of Starlog . Not my fault! I didn’t work there then!). Alas, Khambatta’s acting career soon stalled.

My one encounter with her came at a Trek convention in a New Jersey suburb a few years before her August, 1998 death. It was not a particularly good con -- being the maiden effort of a new con organizer. Reportedly, he took out a loan on his house and used up his savings to finance the con (guest fees, travel expenses, food, hotel rooms, ballroom rent, insurance, advertising, etc.). The hotel selected was under renovation (perhaps this made the facilities cheaper?). Construction detritus, scaffolding, plastic wrap and baseboard littered the ground floor. The smell of new paint and sawdust haunted the air. Unfortunately, the whole lobby area and surrounding hallways were not an inviting environment for an all-new convention.

Having guested at numerous cons; I had some sense of what worked (and what didn’t). Like other newcomers to the con game, this well-intentioned guy had booked a problematic guest line-up. Back then, you really needed a headliner, which meant one of 20 people (Gene Roddenberry and the regular casts of TOS and TNG ; I think this was pre- Deep Space Nine ). Episodic guest stars were fine as secondary con guests with Trek novelists, comic book people and writers comprising tertiary guests, extra added attractions that weren’t going to draw many (any?) more attendees to the event.

However, the line-up here was Mark Lenard (Spock’s Vulcan dad), Tony Todd (Worf’s Klingon brother, Candyman and later an eerie figure in the Final Destination flicks), Persis Khambatta, Arne Starr (inker of DC Comics’ Star Trek title) and me. I liked Lenard enormously and he was so beloved by fans that he could be regarded as a headliner -- but certainly not at this con, because, due to scheduling conflicts, he couldn’t be there on Saturday, the big day. Lenard would only appear Sunday. Todd and Khambatta hadn’t done many (any?) cons at the time. Starr and I were just window dressing. We didn’t really count.

Saturday arrived and the event opened and -- crickets! The place was a desert. There weren’t many people, maybe 100 tops. The dealers were unhappy. Few fans, and they weren’t buying much merchandise! Ticket revenue wasn’t going to cover the guests’ travel, much less other expenses.

So, what went wrong? Well, as I suggested, the guest line-up might be partially to blame. But there was also the hotel’s "under construction" state, inadequate advertising and promotion, potential oversaturation in the Philadelphia marketplace (which already boasted several SF and comics cons annually) and competition from local "mundane" attractions (like sporting events and concerts). I don’t recall the weather, but that too can be a crucial factor. Heavy rain, unexpected snowfall or perfect, beautiful outdoor weather can, naturally, depress indoor attendance.

Whatever the reason, it was clear that the beleagured organizer couldn’t indulge in the convention tradition of taking the guests out to a nice dinner Saturday night. So, as to not increase his expenses, I volunteered the Starlog Company card ("Don’t leave con without it!") and ushered Starr, Todd, Todd’s lady friend and Khambatta (sporting luxurious hair) to a nearby restaurant.

At the time, restaurants in New Jersey still offered Smoking sections. As a lifelong non-smoker, I avoided those areas, but over the years, I got accustomed to the ash. Family members, office-mates, roommates, friends and fraternity brothers all lit up (but almost all eventually quit). I didn’t much like it, but I wasn’t militant regarding tobacco hate.

But, here we were, at the reception area with ex-beauty queen Khambatta standing there, a pack of cigarettes and lighter in hand. Did I mention she still looked... "smokin’ hot?"

The hostess asked me, "Smoking or No Smoking?"

And I looked at Khambatta, this strikingly beautiful woman who -- I was certain -- wanted to smoke. I couldn’t be rude enough (although I was playing ad hoc host and Starlog was picking up the tab) to insist on the healthy option, could I? She smiled and I folded. "Smoking please," I said. Proving only that a lonely fanboy will always let a lovely woman get what she wants -- even if it’s harmful to everyone’s health.

So, we all dined. The only conversation topic I recall is Trek conventions. Mostly, Khambatta didn’t seem very happy that night. I don’t know why. But she smoked and smoked and smoked. I remember that.

David McDonnell, "the maitre’d of the science fiction universe," has dished up coverage of pop culture for more than three decades. Beginning his professional career in 1975 with the weekly "Media Report" news column in The Comic Buyers’ Guide, he joined Jim Steranko’s Mediascene Prevue in 1980. After 31 months as Starlog’s Managing Editor (beginning in October 1982), he became that pioneering SF magazine’s longtime Editor (1985-2009). He also served as Editor of its sister publications Comics Scene, Fangoria and Fantasy Worlds. At the same time, he edited numerous licensed movie one-shots (Star Trek and James Bond films, Aliens, Willow, etc.) and three ongoing official magazine series devoted to Trek TV sagas (The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager). He apparently still holds this galaxy’s record for editing more magazine pieces about Star Trek in total than any other individual, human or alien.

Copyright 2014 David McDonnell

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The Tragic Death Of Star Trek Actor Persis Khambatta

They were a team traveling through space, on a five-year mission to "explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before," beginning with the 1966-69 Star Trek television series. That opening narration, voiced by William Shatner (Captain James T. Kirk) began each of the 79 episodes detailing the Starship Enterprise 's original adventures.

While that show ran more than 50 years ago, Gene Roddenberry's sci-fi franchise remains vivid in pop culture today, with the original production still available in reruns, 13 movies , two cartoons and five TV versions: Star Trek: The Next Generation  (1987-1994), Deep Space Nine (1993-1999), Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001), Star Trek: Enterprise  (2001-2005), Star Trek: Discovery  (2017-present) and Star Trek: Picard  (2020-present).

The series popularized dozens of characters, including Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Khan (Ricardo Montalban), and Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). It has its own language and much-loved plot points . 

She starred with Sylvester Stallone in 'Nighthawks'

Part of the Star Trek mythology is what happens to participants in that world after their time in it is over. Leonard Nimoy spoke about his ambivalence of portraying such an iconic part in his 1975 book, I Am Not Spock,  according to the New York Times .  

While Nimoy remained an entertainment presence long after his time in space, others' fame faded more quickly — for instance, Persis Khambatta, who appeared in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . The 1979 film, the first installment of the Star Trek movies, cast her as Lt. Iliaa, a navigator for the USS Enterprise , alongside many of the original television cast. Khambatta, an internationally known model from Mumbai (formerly Bombay), won Miss India in 1965 clad in an outfit she purchased right before the competition, according to the New York Times . 

She had appeared in Indian films before coming to Hollywood to play roles in The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) with Michael Caine and Conduct Unbecoming with Richard Attenborough. For her Star Trek audition, Khambatta wore a bald cap that she purchased for $1.99, said The Print . Her performance — her character was indeed bald — was nominated for a Saturn Award. Initially, Khambatta was slated to be part of a new Star Trek  television series and signed on to do the role for five years. She embraced the change, however, believing that ultimately a movie might help her career more, according to The Better India . 

The career of Persis Khambatta

In 1981, she appeared with Sylvester Stallone in the film Nighthawks , and according to The Independent , she was the first Indian to present at the Academy Awards. Around this time period, she married actor/stuntman Cliff Taylor a few weeks after meeting him. By some reports, she believed that they were lovers in a past life. The second time was not the charm, however, and they separated two months later before eventually divorcing.

She played a number of guest roles on American TV hits in the '80s including Hunter , MacGyver  (both in 1986) and Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer  (1987). She also appeared in the 1993 pilot of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman . Khambatta left Hollywood for  Bombay in the 1990s and produced the 1996 anthology Pride of India , a book that featured participants in international beauty pageants and other icons, including Mother Teresa, who Khambatta thought "radiated beauty," according to the The Independent . She donated a percentage of royalties to the Missionaries of Charity, a Catholic congregation created by the saint in 1950. Khambatta was described as "a thorough professional and obsessively punctual," but also "private."

Khambatta died in August 1998 of a heart attack at age 49. She had a history of health problems, going back to a 1983 coronary bypass.

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Persis Khambatta, Movie Actress, 49

By The Associated Press

• Aug. 20, 1998

Persis Khambatta, an actress and former Miss India who appeared in ''Star Trek -- The Motion Picture'' (1979) and other films, died on Tuesday in a hospital here. She was 49.

The cause of death was a heart attack, according to newspaper reports.

Ms. Khambatta began modeling at the age of 13 and won the Miss India beauty crown in 1965, dressed in clothes she bought off the rack at the last minute. She starred in a few Hindi-language films in India and went on to play featured roles in Hollywood productions like ''The Wilby Conspiracy'' (1975) with Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine, ''Conduct Unbecoming'' (1976) with Michael York and Richard Attenborough, and ''Nighthawks'' (1981) with Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams.

Her biggest break as an actress was playing Lieutenant Ilia in the first ''Star Trek'' movie, with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.

She is survived by her mother and a brother.

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Obituary: Persis Khambatta

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PERSIS KHAMBATTA, the former Miss India and international model, created cinematic history by appearing in 1979 as the first bald film heroine, in Star Trek: the Motion Picture, the hugely successful Hollywood science fiction film.

She was selected from among thousands of aspirants to play Lt Aliea, the alien navigator of the starship USS Enterprise. The bald pate of the 29-year-old, dark- haired, vivacious beauty from Bombay was flashed across posters world- wide, making her an instant celebrity.

Four years later she starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Night Hawks and became the first Indian to present an award at the Oscar ceremony in Los Angeles. Earlier, at the Miss World contest in Miami in the mid- 1960s, where local newspapers referred to her as the "prettiest Indian girl to be seen in the US in many years", Khambatta was offered a role in a Bond film. But she turned it down as she had promised her mother that she would return home immune to Western allurements.

Soon after, she won the best fledgling actress award for her role as a swinging Sixties Bombay woman in the avant-garde Indian film Bombay rat ki bahoon mein ("Bombay by Night", 1969) But, tiring of Bollywood's lack of professionalism, Khambatta left for London, where she became a well-known model.

She bagged her first international film role in 1975 in The Wilby Conspiracy, acting opposite Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier. In the same year, she also starred in Conduct Unbecoming, with Richard Attenborough, Michael York and Trevor Howard.

After acting in two little-known science fiction films - Warrior of the Lost World and Mega Force - in the late 1980s Khambatta returned to Bombay to work on Pride of India, a pictorial history featuring past Miss Indias since the Fifties.

Persis Khambatta was born into a middle-class Parsee home in Bombay in 1948; her tryst with fame began at the age of 14. A set of her pictures casually taken by a well-known Bombay photographer ended up as a successful campaign for a popular soap brand and eventually to Khambatta's becoming a model. She entered the Miss India contest in 1965 and won it.

She continued modelling before leaving for London and the United States for her career as international model and Hollywood star. In the United States, she used her film success to campaign hard for ethnic minority actors to play ethnic roles, which were being cornered by white men in dark make-up.

But, tiring of life in the West, she returned to Bombay in the early 1990s and, defying feminists who opposed beauty contests on the grounds that they merely flauted women as sex objects she laboriously produced Pride of India (1996), an anthology of former Miss Indias and other stunningly attractive Indian women who had participated in international beauty contests. Her book also featured Mother Teresa of Calcutta whose wrinkled face, Khambatta said, radiated beauty.

Though Khambatta complained bitterly about India, its filthiness, lack of civic sense and professionalism, she never severed her links with her beloved Bombay, always slipping back into the city and picking up the threads from her previous visit. A thorough professional and obsessively punctual, Khambatta was a private person. In her last television appearance, on a chat show five days ago, she claimed that she could have got innumerable film roles in Hollywood had she agreed to act in the nude. She also admitted to having a few affairs which, unfortunately, did not "work out" and translate into anything permanent.

Kuldip Singh

Persis Khambatta, actress and model: born Bombay October 1948; died Bombay 18 August 1998.

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Star Trek to Success: Persis Khambatta, the First Indian Woman to Stamp a Mark in Hollywood

She made hearts flutter as a fierce and breathtaking Deltan Starfleet officer on board the ‘USS Enterprise’, in the first instalment of the iconic American sci-fi film series - Star Trek.

L ong before modern-day actresses took to the international stage, it was a Mumbai born and bred, former Miss India who blazed the trail for Indian actors to venture into Hollywood.

She made hearts flutter as a fierce and breathtaking Deltan Starfleet officer on board the ‘USS Enterprise’, in the first instalment of the iconic American sci-fi film series – Star Trek.

This Parsi woman was none other than the ethereal, Persis Khambatta!

Unique, curated experiences and workshops for the off-beat traveller. Click here and immerse yourself in the beauty of our country.

In her role of the humanoid navigator Ilia for Star Trek, she challenged conventional beauty norms by rocking a bald look. Yes, and that too at a time when women with long tresses were considered the epitome of beauty, she shaved her head for the role and commanded limelight not just in India but in the international arena too.

And yet, Persis is lost in the pages that narrate stories of the most unrivalled Indian actresses of their times.

This is her story.

Persis was a child born in free India to a Parsi couple in the maximum city on 2 October 1948. She was only two years old when her father walked away from the family.

Her tryst with fame began at the age of 13. A well-known erstwhile Bombay photographer captured her in a set of candid pictures which were used for a successful campaign by popular soap brand Rexona. These marked her baby steps into the world of modelling.

At the tender age of 17, she walked the ramp for the celebrated Femina Miss India pageant which was in its second year. She wowed the judges and ardent viewers and emerged its winner.

The young beauty also moved on to become the third Indian woman to participate in the Miss Universe pageant in 1965. All of this while dressed in last-minute off-the-rack clothes!

With her newly-gained fame in India , she modelled for big names like the national carrier Air India, cosmetics brand－Revlon, and famous clothing line, Garden Vareli.

She made her Bollywood debut with K A Abbas’ avant-garde 1968 film Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein in the role of a cabaret dancer, Lilly, crooning the title track. Soon, she left for London to continue with her modelling career in Britain.

Her first brush with Hollywood came in 1975 when she played small roles in Conduct Unbecoming with Richard Attenborough, Michael York, and Trevor Howard and The Wilby Conspiracy opposite Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier.

And yet, the break that catapulted her into fame came in the form of Lieutenant Ilia－the daunting character in Star Trek: The Motion Picture . She was then 29 years old. The truth of the matter is that Persis was initially signed to play the role for five years, as the intention was to create a new Star Trek television series. And though it meant she lost five years of work, she admitted that she was thrilled that the project became a movie instead, citing a greater impact on her career. The rest, as they say, is history.

It was the love, admiration, and respect that she had garnered through her work in the film that led her to become the first Indian to present an award at the Oscars in Los Angeles in 1980.

She also starred opposite Sylvester Stallone in Night Hawks the same year and later appeared in lesser-known science fiction films like Warrior of the Lost World and Mega Force . Though her acting career had begun a downward spiral, Persis never lost sight of the bigger goal.

Back in the US, she leveraged her Star Trek success to campaign for actors from ethnic minority to play ethnic roles, than having white people play roles with bronzed skin.

Painful challenges came in the form of a grave car crash in Germany, which left a huge scar on her head in 1980 and a coronary bypass surgery in 1983. In 1985, she returned to Bombay and appeared in a Hindi television series Shingora and a few cameos in Hollywood television series such as Mike Hammer and MacGyver .

In the 90s when different feminist schools of thought opposed the beauty contests that flaunted women as sex objects, she wrote and published a pictorial anthropology of former Miss India’s and Indian women who had participated in international beauty contests.

Persis’ last role was in the 1993 pilot episode of Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman .

Five years later, she was rushed to the Marine Hospital in South Bombay when she complained of chest pains. On 18 August 1998, she suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 49.

To honour her legacy, the Persis Khambatta Memorial Award was instituted in 1999.

With a scholarship and trophy depicting her in her role in Star Trek, the award is given annually to the top graduating student of the National Institute of Fashion Technology . It was designed and funded by Sanjeev Chowdhury, former Vice-Consul of Canada at the Canadian Consulate in Mumbai, who was Persis’ best friend and the last to dine with her before her death.

With Persis’ passing, India lost a gem. And though she may have gone in flesh, the true force of nature and fierce spirit that she embodied will continue to inspire women for years to come!

Rest in peace, Dear Lieutenant Ilia. May you continue to shine in the vast universe with your bright light.

You May Also Like: Smashing Stereotypes: At 14, She Was India’s Youngest Female Dhol Player!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Lieutenant Ilia was a female Deltan Starfleet officer in the 23rd century . She was in the navigation and helm branches of the Operations division . In the mid- 2270s , she served aboard the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain James T. Kirk .

Years before her assignment, she had been romantically involved with Will Decker on her home planet Delta IV . She would meet him again on the Enterprise . She did, however, swear an oath of celibacy upon initiation of her service, a requirement for Deltans entering Starfleet.

In the aftermath of an attack by V'ger on the Enterprise , she soothed the nerves in Pavel Chekov 's hand and wrist before Christine Chapel tended him.

Although Ilia was absorbed by the V'ger probe, V'ger created another probe that was an artificial near-duplicate of her to collect information and act as a liaison between V'ger and the "carbon units" that "infested" the Enterprise . The probe mentioned that the Ilia unit was "no longer functioning". The duplicated Ilia probe was similar to Ilia down to the molecular structure, as a medical exam later revealed. The probe included both her memories and personality, though both suppressed by V'ger 's programming.

When Spock entered V'ger 's interior wearing a thruster suit , he saw a representation of Ilia floating in the expanse and attempted a mind meld .

Kirk later listed both Ilia and Will Decker as missing instead of killed, following the involvement of both in the conclusion of the crisis. ( Star Trek: The Motion Picture )

Appendices [ ]

Background information [ ].

Persis Khambatta having her hair shaved off by Fred Phillips , in preparation for playing Ilia

Persis Khambatta (bottom, in yellow) screen tests for her role as Ilia

Ilia was played by the late Persis Khambatta . The character was originally proposed for Star Trek: Phase II . The show's production materials described the character's abilities and background – notably, that she was very intelligent, an " esper " and that almost everything with her people was sex-oriented. Khambatta had been cast in the role for the series, and had done costume and makeup tests which were used for the motion picture. ( The Making of Star Trek The Motion Picture [ page number? • edit ] )

According to The Making of Star Trek The Motion Picture (pg. 108), Ilia grew up with a strong interest in culture of Earth:

Ilia is different from other Deltans in only one area–as a girl, she had considerable contact with Humans because of her father's prominence as a Federation historian with special interest in parallels between civilizations of Earth and Delta . Something of a dreamer, Ilia eventually became fascinated with the "primitive" heroic qualities in Humans–this led to an interest in 23rd-century space exploration, in much the same way some Humans become intrigued with the heroic ocean voyages of the Polynesian people. Since her own Deltan race had long ago lost interest in space voyaging (concentrating on their own inner-space), Ilia finally decided to join Starfleet herself and study at first hand the space adventuring in which the Human species were playing so prominent a role. As is true of the few other Deltans who have joined Starfleet, Ilia's natural job function was navigation --the highly evolved Deltan intelligence can handle the most complex spherical trigonometric complexities of space navigation as easily as a Human learns simple multiplication tables. Ilia's past connection with Decker is a bit troubling to her. She met Decker while still little more than girl--her romantic "dreamer" nature saw him loom in her mind as a handsome, primitive young warrior, excitingly different from any Deltan man she knew. She then discovered that this "primitive young warrior" had unusual intelligence and charm. All this combined with Ilia's burgeoning interest in Earth voyages and voyageurs–her emotional Deltan zest catapulted her into love with this young Starfleet lieutenant . But Decker, already an experienced officer , knew of the dangers implicit in any such relationship–he also recognized that his own principal need was for the challenge and adventure he could find only in space as a starship commander some day. When Ilia's interest in him led to preliminary love-play, even the unconsummated sex experience left him so shaken, that he saw the trap in time. He fled, realizing he could not risk even a "good-bye"--another hour with Ilia might have brought him to a point of no return. Ilia is now certain that Decker made the right decision–her affection for him was genuine, deep enough that she saw it would be selfish of her to interfere with his chance of one day achieving the ultimate freedom and challenge of starship command. Decker is equally certain he made the right decision about Ilia–and yet, strangely exotic and compelling memories of her still torment him at times.

Ilia, as well as her relationship with Will Decker, was the inspiration for both the Betazoid character Deanna Troi and Troi's relationship with the Human William T. Riker . This includes the Betazoids , like the Deltans , being named after a character in the Greek alphabet, their relatively very open attitude toward sexual activities, and their ESP (Extra Sensory Perception) capability (manifesting in Troi primarily as empathy).

In the DVD commentary for the Director's Cut, director Robert Wise suggested Ilia was a last-minute replacement for the unnamed transporter accident victim who was killed earlier with Commander Sonak . Decker's surprised reaction at her arrival seemed to support this.

In the shooting script, Ilia's rank was Lieutenant junior grade . [1] This rank was mentioned in the Gene Roddenberry 's novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture .

Apocrypha [ ]

Ilia can also be seen in the first two story arcs of the Star Trek newspaper comic strip .

In The Return , by William Shatner , it was revealed that V'ger was modified by the source species of the Borg . It was suggested that Ilia and Decker were fused to the Borg Collective , in five-dimensional space, by V'ger and that Ilia might be the Borg Queen seen later.

According to the video game Star Trek: Starship Creator , Ilia's father is named Serilli and her mother is named Cherlas. She has a brother named Senn and a sister named Anya.

Her mirror universe counterpart was depicted as being a crewmember aboard the ISS Enterprise in The Sorrows of Empire . She was likewise the lover of Willard Decker. She was killed by Marlena Moreau using the Tantalus field in 2272 .

The prime universe Ilia resurfaces in Star Trek Online . In the mission "Red Shift", released in January 2022 for the game's 12th anniversary, Ilia suddenly appeared in 2411 in the Epsilon sector, before falling comatose; she was later transported to Jupiter Station and kept in stasis. Ilia appears to still be in her V'ger probe form, as the researchers comment on the advanced technology of her form making Soong-type androids "crude" by comparison. The Terran Empire sends a team - the mirror counterparts of Kathryn Janeway , Sylvia Tilly , the Lukari captain Kuumaarke, and the player character, known as the "Inquisitor" - to claim Ilia as a "prize" for the as-yet unseen Emperor. In the later missions "Blue Shift" and "The Calling", Ilia is rescued from the Terran Spacedock by the player character, Marshal Janeway, and Admiral Leeta , and awakens in Jupiter Station's medical bay. She informs the player that the Emperor seeks "the Other", the mirror universe's version of V'ger . In the mission "The Fujiwhara Effect", Ilia summons V'ger to Earth to stop "the Other" and the Emperor (revealed to be the mirror counterpart of Wesley Crusher ) before they devastate Earth.

External links [ ]

• Ilia at StarTrek.com
• Ilia at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works

Persis Khambatta

Movie: Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Character(s): Ilia

Persis Khambatta was an Indian model and actress who is perhaps best known for portraying Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

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Persis Khambatta Remembered

Persis Khambatta, a smart and beautiful Indian actress and model, became instantly famous in December 1979 when she appeared on movie screens as Lieutenant Ilia, the Deltan navigator of the Starship USS Enterprise, in Star Trek: The Motion Picture directed by Robert Wise . The film was based on the television series (1966-1969) created by Gene Roddenberry, starring William Shatner as Captain James Kirk, and Leonard Nimoy as Vulcan science officer Spock. 

Khambatta was invited to the 1980 Golden Globes on January 26 to present the Best Foreign Film award to the French movie La Cage aux Folles , and on April 14, 1980, she presented the Best Documentary award at the Academy Awards with William Shatner. She attended the Golden Globes on January 31, 1981, as the guest of Italian composer Giorgio Moroder , who was nominated for Best Score and Best Original Song (“Call Me”) for American Gigolo .

The journalists of the Hollywood Foreign Press interviewed Khambatta in May 1981 about her role in Nighthawks starring Sylvester Stallone and asked questions about her background and aspirations.

Born in Mumbai, India in 1948, she was discovered at the age of 13 by a photographer while eating dinner in a restaurant with her family. Some test shots he took of her were used in the advertising campaign for Rexona soap and she started getting work as a model. In 1965, she won the Miss India contest and in 1968 she was cast by director K.A. Abbas in her first Bollywood movie. She said: “I was very fortunate. I had done so much modeling in India, but I was like a big fish in a small pond and I wanted to try somewhere else, to be known internationally, to feel inside me that I was good and I would make it abroad, so I decided to go to London.”

In England, Khambatta played small roles in The Wilby Conspiracy (1975) with Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier , and Conduct Unbecoming (1975) with Michael York and Richard Attenborough . Then she realized she didn’t want to act, so she moved to New York and signed with the Wilhelmina modeling agency. On a flight back from India, where she traveled every year to visit her mother, she showed her portfolio to two Indian actors, then went to sleep. It was only when the plane took off after a stop in London that she realized they had stolen her portfolio, which represented all of her work. “I knew that that would stop my career and I would have to start all over again. But if this didn’t happen, I would have never really taken acting seriously.” That’s when she decided to move to L.A. to give acting another try.

When Khambatta auditioned for Star Trek she wore a bald cap because Deltans are hairless, but when she won the role of Ilia over hundreds of other actresses she promised to really shave her head, drawing inspiration from a statue of the ancient Egyptian queen Nefertiti. The shedding of her dark locks was captured on video as she shed a few tears, and that look became iconic.

Of her role as Shakka in the crime thriller Nighthawks, she said, “I was portraying a terrorist because terrorism right now is there. We’re trying to avoid it, thinking it’s going to go away, but it’s not. And I felt that governments have to see that it’s so easy for terrorists to make demands and get what they want. So it’s useful for people when they watch me to see that baddies always lose in the end. I do die in this film and to me, that’s very important.”

Asked what other roles she would like to play in the future, she replied: “I feel that I’m a talented actress who can express a lot of emotions. I want to play a woman that, when I walk into a room, people know that I can take care of myself, that I’m not a weak person but I’m tough. I would like to play a Clint Eastwood part like in Dirty Harry, a Sean Connery part like James Bond or a Robert De Niro part like Taxi Driver . That’s where the glamorous roles are. If John Wayne played a sheriff in a Western, why can’t a woman do it? Why can’t she take care of the bad guys? I feel that women are much stronger than we think they are. There are going to be more important roles for women in the 80s.”

To a question about the condition of women in India, the country she left behind, she revealed: “Although I left India years ago, I haven’t changed. I still have my morals, principles and values. I’m a Zoroastrian but I believe in all religions: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity. The situation of women in India is backwards, but it is changing. They divorce and take jobs now. I am sorry for my school friends who were not able to do what they wanted. Most of them are married with four kids and they ask me to explain to their husbands why they would like to work.”

Khambatta would star in a few more movies: Megaforce (1982) with Barry Bostwick , Warrior of the Lost World (1983) with Donald Pleasance, She-Wolves of the Wasteland (1988), and make some TV appearances, but this talented actress with a good head on her shoulders and forward-thinking aspirations never did get the strong female lead roles she hoped for. In 1983 she underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, and in 1998 she died of a massive heart attack in Mumbai at the age of 49. 

Today, 25 years after her passing, Persis Khambatta, whom Prime Minister Indira Gandhi once called the Pride of India, deserves to be remembered as a courageous young woman who had enough faith in her own worth and abilities to leave her country of origin and go out into the world to make the life that she wanted for herself.

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New Delhi: Best known for going bald for her role in the highly successful sci-fi film,  Star Trek: The Motion Picture  (1979), Persis Khambatta was a Mumbai-born model-turned-actor. She made waves in Hollywood and starred alongside prominent actors like Michael Caine, Michael Shatner and Sylvester Stallone.

On entering Hollywood, she once said , “Most of the actors I’ve worked with have been very helpful to me. I think it’s because I come from a foreign country and they’re very protective of me.”

Early modelling fame

Born into a middle-class Parsi family on 2 October 1948, Khambatta was raised by her mother after her father left them when she was two. “It was very hard. Our people [Parsis] stress family. I developed a sense of humor and something of a toughness of skin, but I suffered from being different,” she had said .

Scouted by a well-known Mumbai photographer at the age of 13, she landed a Rexona soap advertisement. At 17, she was named Miss India 1965 and then contested for Miss Universe title.

Khambatta gradually ventured into Bollywood, starring as a cabaret singer in K.A. Abbas’s  Bambai Raat Ki Bahon Mein (1968), which  won the National Award for cinematography. However, Khambatta felt increasingly frustrated with the industry’s lack of professionalism and left for London.

Stardom after Star Trek

Khambatta played small roles in two 1975 films — Ralph Nelson’s  The Wilby Conspiracy and Michael Anderson’s  Conduct Unbecoming  before “a dollar ninety-nine investment” skyrocketed her career. In an  interview , she revealed that wearing a bald cap that cost $1.99, during her audition with  Star Trek  creator Gene Roddenberry, helped secure her the role of Lieutenant Ilia. She is particularly well known for having shaved her head for the film.

She played the character of Lieutenant Ilia, a Deltan navigator of the USS Enterprise, who  released  sexual pheromones irresistible to humans.

A year later, she  co-starred  in the cop thriller  Night Hawks  (1981) with superstar Sylvester Stallone. Around that time, she also married actor and stuntman Cliff Taylor weeks after they met, because she  felt that “they were lovers in a past life”. They divorced two months later.

In 1980, she was the first Indian to present at the Oscars in Los Angeles. In a talk show five days before her death, she had revealed that she could have got numerous film roles had she agreed to act in the nude.

Pride of India

In 1997, Khambatta published an anthology called  Pride of India , honouring former winners of the Miss India pageant and other icons of beauty. The title of the book, according to Khambhatta, was inspired by former prime minister Indira Gandhi calling her the “pride of India”.

The book was “a 90s rewind of the beauty business” and also featured Mother Teresa whose wrinkled face radiated beauty,  said Khambatta.

“The earlier Indian queens were really beautiful but they lost out in the world contests because they had fuller hips. The starved, slim look is being cultivated only now,”  she added .

However, the book was unsuccessful and received scathing reviews.

“At its worst, it is an expensive repetition. Most of all, Persis, we must thank you for reminding us all about yourself,”  wrote  one critic.

In 1980, Khambatta was  severely injured  in a car crash in Germany, which left a large scar on her head. Almost a decade later, the chain-smoker  returned to Mumbai and underwent coronary bypass surgery, but eventually,  died of a massive heart attack in 1998. She was just 49.

Also read:   Ravi Chopra — the man behind the Mahabharat and Baghban

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very sad. i think she could have stayed in india. got married give up smoking and could have very well, alive and happy today.

Persis Khambatta was a wonderful creation. A modern day Mother/Nurturer- a goddess like Kali to those around her. Me included. This is a good article except for the “opinion” of a the review on her book which like her, we helped promote. The book was more in demand in the U.S. and Europe than in India . A second edition was on her mind and in the works when she died. Her death was more about FOUL PLAY than natural. Edward Lozzi & Associates Public Relations

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Persis Khambatta

Filmography, life events, bibliography.

Persis Khambatta, best remembered for her work in the popular film "Star Trek-The Motion Picture," began her career in her native India. Named Miss India in 1965, four years after she began modeling at age 13, Khambatta was soon acting in commercials for Air India and starring in Hindi-language films. Her international debut film role was in the 1975 political thriller "The Wilby Conspiracy." The film, set in apartheid-era South Africa, co-starred Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine. In 1976 she appeared alongside Richard Attenborough and Michael York in the historical drama "Conduct Unbecoming." The beautiful Khambatta shaved her head to play Lieutenant Ilia in the first installment of the "Star Trek" movies, creating a particularly striking and memorable character in the 1979 film. Tragedy struck the next year when she was hurt in a serious car crash, which ended the possibility of her reprising the role of Lt. Ilia in any future "Star Trek" projects as the resulting large scar on her head prevented her from going hairless again for a film role. Despite her accident, Khambatta continued to work in features, appearing in the 1981 detective thriller "Nighthawks," with Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams, and starring opposite Barry Bostwick in the 1982 sci-fi adventure "Megaforce." In 1983, Khambatta underwent a heart bypass operation. This slowed her down for only a short time, and she was soon in the public eye again. 1985 saw her starring in the fantasy film "Warrior of the Lost World" with Donald Pleasance, and appearing on the syndicated Robin Leach television special "Exciting People, Exotic Places." Khambatta continued to work in TV guest spots on episodes of ABC's "MacGyver" and NBC's "Hunter" in 1986. In 1988, she acted in two films shown at Cannes Film Festival: "Phoenix the Warrior," a sci-fi adventure which she was the associate producer as well as the star of, and "Deadly Intent," a suspense thriller matching her up with Fred Williamson. Her last television appearance was in the pilot episode of the popular ABC fantasy series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." A multi-talented individual, this actress and model was also an author, publishing a book about important female figures in India entitled "Pride of India" when she was only 18. Khambatta died after succumbing to a heart attack in 1998 at age 49.

Cast (Feature Film)

Producer (feature film), cast (special).

Began modeling at age 13 (date approximate)

Won the Miss India beauty pageant

Was featured in the political thriller "The Wilby Conspiracy", with Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine, set in apartheid-era South Africa

Appeared in "Conduct Unbecoming", alongside Michael York and Richard Attenborough

Starred as Lieutenant Ilia in "Star Trek-The Motion Picture"

Was seriously injured in a car crash, resulting in a large scar on her head

Appeared with Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams in the detective thriller "Nighthawks"

Starred opposite Barry Bostwick in the sci-fi feature "Megaforce"

Underwent a heart bypass operation

Was profiled on the syndicated travel interview special "Exciting People, Exotic Places", hosted by Robin Leach and starred in the action fantasy film "Warrior of the Lost World"

Acted in episodes of TV's "MacGyver" (ABC) and "Hunter" (NBC)

Starred in the sci-fi adventure "Phoenix the Warrior" and the suspense thriller "Deadly Intent"

Appeared in the pilot epiosde of ABC's "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman"

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Persis Khambatta originally signed on for Star Trek: Phase II

By chad porto | jun 27, 2021.

Star Trek fans remember Persis Khambatta as Ilia from The Motion Picture.

We’ve talked before about how Persis Khambatta really had a unique look as the Delta n Ilia from Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Her bald head and unique 70s inspired dress-uniform were one of the most memorable aspects of the film . As a new character, her look made her stand out and she became iconic, if just for her fashion and look alone.

What fans may not know is that Khmabatta wasn’t meant to play Ilia on Star Trek: The Motion Picture, but instead was set to be a major character on the ill-fated Star Trek: Phase II revival series. According to rumors, the change from the series to a film apparently upset Khambatta, who was expected to have five years’ worth of income at least, due to the contract she signed.

She became one of the few holdovers from the Phase II series that would see life on The Motion Picture, with most of the other characters either getting dropped or not having had been cast in the first place.

The pay for the film ended up being much less than the pay for five years’ worth of work, so it’d be understandable if she was upset.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture came from Star Trek: Phase II

Long-time fans may know all about Star Trek: Phase II , but newer fans may not. The idea would’ve seen the original crew reunited in the late 1970s’ to be part of a new show that would air on a Paramount-backed television network. Much like UPN and Paramount Network would end up becoming.

The series would have brought back most of the original crew to star on the show but newer characters like Khambatta’s Ilia would also be part of the series. Originally she was going to have a headdress of sorts in conjunction with the bald head for the series. There were even test shots done to help get a visual of what that would look like.

Ultimately the show folded when Paramount nixed the plans for their television station and shuffled Phase II into Star Trek: The Motion Picture. A beautiful film to look at but one that was completely devoid of a good plot.

Next. Heritage Auction will feature Star Trek memorabilia. dark

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Persis Khambatta

Highest Rated: 71% Nighthawks (1981)

Lowest Rated: 6% Megaforce (1981)

Birthday: Oct 2, 1948

Birthplace: Bombay, Maharashtra, India

Persis Khambatta, best remembered for her work in the popular film "Star Trek-The Motion Picture," began her career in her native India. Named Miss India in 1965, four years after she began modeling at age 13, Khambatta was soon acting in commercials for Air India and starring in Hindi-language films. Her international debut film role was in the 1975 political thriller "The Wilby Conspiracy." The film, set in apartheid-era South Africa, co-starred Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine. In 1976 she appeared alongside Richard Attenborough and Michael York in the historical drama "Conduct Unbecoming." The beautiful Khambatta shaved her head to play Lieutenant Ilia in the first installment of the "Star Trek" movies, creating a particularly striking and memorable character in the 1979 film. Tragedy struck the next year when she was hurt in a serious car crash, which ended the possibility of her reprising the role of Lt. Ilia in any future "Star Trek" projects as the resulting large scar on her head prevented her from going hairless again for a film role. Despite her accident, Khambatta continued to work in features, appearing in the 1981 detective thriller "Nighthawks," with Sylvester Stallone and Billy Dee Williams, and starring opposite Barry Bostwick in the 1982 sci-fi adventure "Megaforce." In 1983, Khambatta underwent a heart bypass operation. This slowed her down for only a short time, and she was soon in the public eye again. 1985 saw her starring in the fantasy film "Warrior of the Lost World" with Donald Pleasance, and appearing on the syndicated Robin Leach television special "Exciting People, Exotic Places." Khambatta continued to work in TV guest spots on episodes of ABC's "MacGyver" and NBC's "Hunter" in 1986. In 1988, she acted in two films shown at Cannes Film Festival: "Phoenix the Warrior," a sci-fi adventure which she was the associate producer as well as the star of, and "Deadly Intent," a suspense thriller matching her up with Fred Williamson. Her last television appearance was in the pilot episode of the popular ABC fantasy series "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman." A multi-talented individual, this actress and model was also an author, publishing a book about important female figures in India entitled "Pride of India" when she was only 18. Khambatta died after succumbing to a heart attack in 1998 at age 49.

Highest rated movies

Filmography.