"She lived the life of a sanyasin"

by | October 2, 2014, 15:05 IST

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She lived the life  of a sanyasin





 No Raksha Bandhan is complete without the song Bhaiyya mere rakhi ke bandhon ko nibhana from Choti Bahen playing across radios and TV channels. It was young Nanda’s beatific face that exalted the ditty to a cult status. Also, no matter how turbulent the political scenario, Allah tero naam Ishwar tero naam from Hum Dono is the perennial hymn and hope for secularists. The divinity in Lata Mangeshkar’s voice enhanced by Nanda’s soulful screen presence. An ideal sister, an ideal daughter, an ideal wife... Nanda incarnated the ideal Indian woman during the ‘50s and ’60s. The artiste in her did take a detour by going modish in Jab Jab Phool Khile, wanton in Ittefaq and bohemian in Naya Nasha. But it was her mellow performances in Shor, Prem Rog, Mazdoor and Ahista Ahista that showed her gravitas as an actor. Ironically, Kabhi kisiko muqammil jahan nahin milta from Ahista Ahista, remained her favourite number, as it became a translation of her life. Nanda’s dreams lost all colour when the veteran director Manmohan Desai, to whom she was engaged, fell to his death in the ’90s.  Weaning away from films and the fraternity, Nanda retreated into a private world. Youngest brother and director Jaiprakash Karnatki, culls out memories of his sister to whom he says he ‘owes everything’. “Right from our childhood, we brothers and sisters remained attached to Nanda didi. In my next birth, I want to be her elder brother, so that I can repay her debt,” he sighs adding, “My wrist will now remain empty. There’s no one to tie rakhi anymore...” In his words...



THE ‘STAR’ CHILD

We belong to a film family. Our father Vinayak Damodar Karnatki or Master Vinayak was a well-known Marathi and Hindi filmmaker. He was the brother of the legendary filmmaker V Shantaramji, who was also his guru. We were a family of seven brothers and sisters - Meena, Subhash, Nanda (original name Nandini), Prafull, Jaymala and Mangala (twins), Bharati and me. I was younger to Nanda didi by five years. Today, only my brother Subhash and I are the only ones alive.

In 1947, dad was making Mandir in which Lata didi (Mangeshkar) was playing the role of a sister. One day he asked Nanda didi, who was around five then, to accompany him to the set. Didi, who loved school, was upset and complained to our mother – Sushila Aai – that she didn’t want to act. My mother cajoled her saying it would be the first and the last time. On the set, dad made her dress as a boy instead. It was a sign of things to come – Didi was destined to turn breadwinner for the family.
Soon after dad passed away on August 19, 1947 due to a heart complication. He was barely 46. Few days later, his production manager brought along someone and told Aai, ‘Vinayak saab had taken money from this man’. Aai didn’t want a blemish on dad’s name. She sold our bungalow, cars… to pay off his alleged debts. With seven kids, Aai who was hardly 40, was on the streets. Our mausi (maternal aunt) Mrs Naik, who lived in Sonawala bulding in Tardeo, gave Aai some space in her apartment. Mandir released in 1948. ‘Baby Nanda’ was noticed in it. To support the family, didi did more Marathi films including Jagat Guru Shankaracharya, Kuldaivat and the Hindi film Angaray (played Nargis’ childhood) in the early ‘50s. She played the heroine in Marathi films including Shevgacha Shenga (1955).


HIT HEROINE
Didi was given the break as a Hindi film heroine by Annaji (V Shantaram) in Rajkamal’s Toofan Aur Deeya (1956) opposite Rajendra Kumar. The film was a hit and so was the song Mera bhaiyya hai deewana. Didi then did AVMs Bhabhi (1957) where she played the child widow. The song Chali chali re patang meri chali re was a chartbuster. This was followed by Prasad’s Choti Bahen (1959) where she played Mehmood’s blind sister. The song Bhaiya mere rakhi ke bandhan ko nibhana became hugely popular. For us Maharashtrians, Bhai Dooj is a significant festival. But after Choti Bahen, her fans would send her rakhis and she’d autograph and send them back. She became the nation’s sister.

When Dev Anand approached her to play the sister in Kala Bazaar (1960), she refused saying that he’d then never play her hero. But he assured her saying, “Dev will keep his promise.” In Hum Dono (1961), she played his adarsh patni.  She didn’t hesitate to work with newcomers including Jagdeep (Bhabhi), Mehmood (Qaidi No 911), Manoj Kumar (Bedaag), Dharmendra (Mera Kasoor Kya Hai), Jeetendra (Parivar) and Sanjeev Kumar (Pati Patni). Through the ‘60s she gave hits like like Teen Deviyan, Dhool Ka Phool, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, Gumnaam, Ittefaq and The Train, which made her one of the highly paid actresses. She stopped doing films after Naya Nasha (1973) because she was disappointed that despite a nuanced performance of a drug addict, the film flopped.

THE PERSON
All life her integrity as a sister and as an artiste could never be questioned. Didi was fond of the radio programme Binaca Geet Mala. But we couldn’t afford a radio in the early ‘50s as she had just begun working. So she would sit in the Sonawala balcony and listen to the radio playing in the mithai shop down. One day we planned to buy a radio. But our brother Prafull had a fall and suffered a fracture. He had to undergo an operation. Didi dropped the idea of the radio and spent the sum on his surgery.

Even after she became a star, she never ordered food at the producer’s expense. She carried her own lunch. If she took us along for the shooting, she paid for our fare. She footed her own laundry bills. If a film was shelved she’d return the amount. She never believed in arguments. If she was upset with someone she just stopped talking to him. Or at the most would give that person a look. When she didn’t want to answer a question she’d just smile. Also, she disliked being asked personal questions. We respected that.


Nanda

In Raja Sahib

RAJ KAPOOR
Didi was game for challenges. She played the nagging wife in Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Aashiq (1962) with Raj Kapoor and South actor Padmini. Rajji cautioned her, “Nana (her pet name) baby, galti kar rahi ho, Padmini is the heroine, yours is a grey character.” But the last scene had Raj returning to didi, after Padmini ditches him. She looks at him tearfully and says, “Bhagwan, yeh sapna bhi hai toh bhi isse tootne na dena!” She won over the audience. Rajji couldn’t help saying, “Now I’ve become the villain and Padmini the vamp!”

SHASHI KAPOOR
Didi had signed eight films with Shashi Kapoor when he was a newcomer. Char Diwari, Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath,  Jab Jab Phool Khile and Rootha Na Karo (between 1961-1970) being among them. Didi was the only heroine his wife Jennifer (Kapoor) invited home. Others she’d ask Shashiji to be wary of. Didi didn’t have alcohol. So she’d serve her Irish coffee and prawns.

Usually, the credits of their films went as Nanda and Shashi Kapoor. But after Shashi became a star, he insisted on having top billing in the credits. Didi declined films with Shashi after that. In a quirk of fate, Shashi’s films started flopping. Jennifer then told him, “You know why your films are flopping? Because you behaved wrongly with Nanda!” So one day Shashi with Jennifer met didi and apologised to her. His movies began doing well again.

SHAMMI KAPOOR
Didi was offered Badtameez, Janwar, Rajkumar and Junglee with Shammi Kapoor. But she refused them all. Shammiji sent across a message that she would be paid her double price. But she stuck to her guns. She was cautious given his ‘reputation’. One day he asked her, “You work with my younger brother Shashi, a newcomer, why not me?” She just smiled. Years later, she did Prem Rog and Ahista Ahista with Shammiji. On the set of Prem Rog he joked, “When I was a hero, you never worked with me. But now that I’m playing your brother-in-law in the film, you’ve agreed.” Actually, Rajji had persuaded Didi to do Prem Rog. When didi passed away Rishi Kapoor revealed that his father had begged her to do Prem Rog!

RAJESH KHANNA
Sadhana and Mala Sinha had refused BR Chopra’s Ittefaq as it was a negative role. Didi accepted it and even suggested ‘Filmfare contestant’ Rajesh Khanna’s name to Chopra saab for the lead as she was already working with him in The Train. After the premiere, IS Johar, told BR Chopra, “Aap satthiya gaye ho (you’ve lost it). After her image of an adarsh bahen, beti and patni, you’ve shown her as a vamp!” Chopra saab panicked. But didi said, “Don’t worry. I’ve established my character in the first scene itself.” In the first scene, didi, walks seductively towards the window, draped in a chiffon saree below her navel. Her seedhi saadhi image is broken in the first shot. The film did well. By the time Joru Ka Ghulam released, Rajesh had become a superstar. The posters carried his name before didi’s. But he called up the distributors and insisted that the ‘error’ on the posters be corrected overnight. So gracious of him!


Nanda



RUMOURS & SUITORS
Our mother suggested many prospective grooms to didi. But she refused them saying, “I’ll only marry when my heart says so. If I get married to someone you suggest and something goes wrong, I’ll curse you all my life.” There was only one rumour about her – her link-up with Vijay Anand. When a reporter asked Vijayji about it, he neither denied it, nor confirmed it. He just smiled. Didi was upset. She asked him why he had smiled and not denied it. She did receive proposals from some of her heroes but she turned them down saying, “Our temperaments don’t match.”

MANMOHAN DESAI
Manmohanji (Desai, director) was a huge fan of Didi. So much that he would park his car near her film’s posters and keep staring at them. He had offered her Badtameez, Kismet and Sacha Jhutha but she turned them down. Manji would often shoot near a cross adjacent to didi’s bungalow in Bandra in the hope of catching a glimpse of her.
 Manji even married Jeevanji (his late wife passed away in 1979) because she resembled didi. Even Jeevanji knew of his obsession with Didi. Years later, after Jeevanji’s demise, Waheedaji invited didi home saying, “Yashji (Johar) and Manji are coming for dinner. Manji wants to talk to you about something.” There Manji said, “Forget that I was once your fan. I like you and wish to marry you.” She replied, “That’s fine. What about your son Ketan?” Manji said that he approved of it. They got engaged in April 1992 in Ketan’s house. They would have got married soon but my mother fell ill.

 The day he passed away, March 1, 1994, Manji spoke to didi in the morning. He spoke of buying a bungalow in Bandra. That afternoon he was in his office in Gaiwadi, Charni Road. He had written thank you notes to all those who had wished him on his birthday on February 26. A music sitting had just finished. He stepped onto the terrace to take a break. Supposedly, he sat on the parapet, lost his balance and fell. He was not depressed but he was worried about Ketan’s career. He was suffering from a chronic back problem and had become weak. When didi heard the news she was shocked. When she saw his body, she started sobbing uncontrollably.

LIFE AFTER MANJI
After Manji’s death, she lived the life of a sanyasin. She took to wearing white. On Manji’s death anniversary and birthday she’d cook his favourite dishes and also do a puja. She stopped attending social events. Her only interaction was with family and close friends Waheedaji (Rehman), Sairaji (Banu), Ashaji (Parekh), Shakilaji, Jabeenji, Shammiji, Helenji and later Sadhanaji. After 7pm she’d not meet anyone or entertain any calls. She’d have an early dinner and retire to her room. There she’d read or watch TV. Her maid would massage her legs and she’d sleep with bhajans playing, sometimes through the night. But yes, she loved travelling abroad, exotic food and solitaires. She loved the chaat from Shetty Bhelwala and the Chinese served at Fredericks Chinese. She loved crabs. Both of us could have a dozen crabs at one go. She enjoyed watching movies on home theatre.

THE FINAL FAREWELL
When Ashok Kumar passed away, his funeral was poorly attended. The same thing was repeated with Mehmoodji. Didi was disturbed by this disrespect shown to veterans. One day she told me, “When I’m gone don’t call the media. Perform my rites as soon as possible at the Jogeshwari crematorium. Immerse my ashes at the Banganga Temple at Babulnath instead of Nasik (as is the familial tradition). Instead of a 13-day mourning period, observe it just for three days.” She was so practical.

A day before her demise we chatted an hour over the phone. I had just returned from Shirdi. She said, “You must have told Sai Baba about the pain in my legs but you mustn’t have prayed that I go hanste khelte without hospitalisation na?” I chided her for talking like this. She suggested we all meet for Gudi Padva on March 31. In the morning of March 25, my wife (actress Jayshree T) and I were on the way for my health check-up when we received a call asking us to come immediately. Didi lived on the 14th floor. But every morning at 10 am, after having her breakfast and medicines, she’d go to the 12th floor, also her apartment, to have coffee. When she didn’t come down for long, her maid went to check on her only to find her fallen outside the bathroom. She had suffered a massive heart attack. For the last rites, she was made to wear the white salwar kameez that Sairaji had gifted her on her birthday on January 8. On seeing that Sairaji broke down saying, “This was not the occasion for which I had gifted the attire!” The shawl that I had got for her from Shirdi was placed on her. As per her wishes we lit the diya in the mandir on the third day. The formal mourning was over. But life without didi will never be the same for me and my brother Subhash.


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