Nargis became an actress due to compulsion: Studied till 10th standard, but understood every national and international issue; Was fond of only white clothes and lipstick

Nargis Dutt is a name who proved that a film can be a blockbuster even without a hero. Her acting in the film Mother India was praised worldwide. She married Sunil Dutt at the peak of her career and then said goodbye to the industry. At the time of marriage, Nargis was more successful than her husband Sunil Dutt. While Sunil Dutt lived in a 1BHK flat, Nargis was living a luxurious life in South Bombay. However, after marriage, she also shifted to the same 1BHK flat with Sunil Dutt. Nargis’s life was full of challenges and pain. At the age of 6, she debuted in films as a child artist. It was not that she was fond of becoming an artist. She had to come into this field out of compulsion. Well, destiny pushed her into films but she herself decided to travel from being an ordinary artist to becoming the country’s top female artist. But it is said that happiness does not last long in anyone’s life. After marrying Sunil Dutt, Nargis was leading a good life with three children when cancer took hold of her. She was in great pain on the last day of her life. She had a strong desire to see her son Sanjay Dutt’s first film Rocky, but she left this world three days before its release. Today is Nargis Dutt’s 95th birth anniversary, on this occasion we spoke to her younger daughter Priya Dutt. Priya shared some unheard stories about her mother with us. Started working in films at the age of 6, had to leave studies after 10th Nargis was born on 1 June 1929 in Kolkata. Her real name was Fatima Rashid. Father Abdul Rashid was from a famous family of Rawalpindi, who converted from Hindu to Muslim. Mother’s name was Jaddanbai. She was a famous classical singer of her time. Talking about mother Nargis’ childhood, Priya Dutt says, ‘Mother’s childhood was full of ups and downs. Due to the poor financial condition of the family, she had to work in films at an early age. She was fond of reading. Due to her early entry into films, she had to leave her studies after tenth standard. Later, she compensated for this through books. She used to read a lot of books. By reading books, she became so intelligent that one could talk to her on every issue of the country and the world. I always saw my mother reading books in her free time. She used to read one book in a day.’ Nargis entered the film world at the age of just 6 with the film ‘Talashe Haq’ (1935). In this film, she was given credit as Baby Nargis. After this, she got a chance to work in Mehboob Khan’s film ‘Taqdeer’ at the age of 14. Motilal was the actor opposite her in this. Sunil Dutt was impressed by one of Nargis’ actions, and decided to marry her. Nargis’ love story with Sunil Dutt is very interesting. Both of them played the role of mother and son in the 1957 film ‘Mother India’. Later they became husband and wife in real life. It is said that Sunil Dutt saved Nargis from fire on the set of ‘Mother India’. From then on, both of them fell in love. This was not the case in reality. Priya said, ‘Papa once told me that if anyone else would have been in your mother’s place that day, I would have definitely gone to save her. Papa said that one thing about mother impressed him a lot and that was that she got his sister treated without telling anyone. Papa told me – One day I was sitting sad. Nargis came to me and asked the reason for my sadness. I told her that my sister has TB in her stomach, I am not able to understand which doctor to show her to in Mumbai. On hearing this, she secretly went to my house, from there she took my sister to the doctor. When I reached home, I came to know about this. From that day onwards, my respect for Nargis increased in my heart. I thought that I will not find a better woman than her in my life.’ Priya said that after this incident, both of them came close and got married in 1958. Sunil Dutt bought a bungalow for Nargis. At the time of his marriage with Nargis, Sunil Dutt lived in a 1BHK flat. Apart from Sunil Dutt, his mother, sister and niece also lived in that flat. Nargis had become a big name by that time. After marrying Sunil Dutt, she also started living in the same 1BHK flat. Even though she was a big star, she did not have any objection to living in that one bedroom hall house. Priya said, ‘Just imagine that there were already four people living in that small house, but mother never had any problem. However, father definitely felt bad about it. He knew how much luxury mother had lived in. Thinking this, he bought a bungalow in Pali Hill, Bandra. Mother was from South Bombay, at that time Pali Hill area was like a village for the people of South Bombay, but father did as much as he could afford.’ After the death of mother, we got to know what her personality was Priya said that her mother Nargis died when she was 14 years old. She spent very little time with her mother. Priya said, ‘Mother Nargis used to stay at home like a housewife. From cooking to raising the three children, all the responsibilities were on her shoulders. We did not think that she was such a big superstar. But after her death, we got to know what her personality was.’ Nargis liked to wear white clothes, was not fond of anything except lipstick Priya told that her mother Nargis was a very big actress, yet she never showed off. She also wore simple clothes. She mostly wore white dress, that’s why she was also called Lady in White. Whenever she used to go out, she used to wear earrings. Yes, lipstick was one such thing, which she always kept with her. Priya said that mother Nargis never compromised with her dignity, whether in films or in real life. Sanju used to study in a boarding school, she used to reach Delhi every now and then to meet her son. Priya said that mother Nargis was very serious about the children’s education. However, when Sanjay Dutt got admitted to a boarding school in Delhi, she became very worried. She used to go to Delhi to meet Sanju almost every day. Mother could not live without seeing Sanju Bhaiya. Priya said that she is the youngest among the three siblings. Everyone used to call her mother’s flatterer. Priya says, ‘I and mother were each other’s shadow. I always used to stay with her. When brother and sister grew up a bit, they used to take their own decisions, but I always listened to mother.’ Sunil Dutt never told me not to do films. It is said that after marrying Sunil Dutt, Nargis left the industry under compulsion. It was said that Sunil Dutt did not want Nargis to work in films anymore. Priya has denied these things. Priya said, ‘The decision to stay at home and run the family was only mother’s. Father had no say in this. Even after marriage, she got many offers, but she gave more importance to the family.’ Nargis was also very ahead in social service. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, she wanted to do something for the soldiers of the country. When Pandit Nehru was alive, Nargis and Sunil Dutt had asked him for a favor. Pandit Nehru had then said that if you people want to do something for the soldiers, then go and motivate them. That opportunity came during the 1971 war. At that time, many big stars including Sunil Dutt and Nargis had organized events for the entertainment of the soldiers. Nargis used to decide clothes for her son Sanjay Dutt till her last days. Nargis left the world three days before the release of her son Sanjay Dutt’s first film Rocky. However, she was so attached to Sanjay that she wanted to attend the premiere of the film even at such a time. Priya said, ‘Mother was in a lot of pain. It was becoming very difficult for her to spend every day. Despite this, she was worried about what clothes Sanju Bhaiya would wear. Which clothes would he wear on which day for the shooting of the film. What would be his look, she was paying attention to all these things even in the last moments of her life.’ Dutt sahab used to keep Nargis’s sarees and perfumes safely. Priya said that after mother’s death, father Sunil Dutt kept her sarees and perfumes safely. He used to look at those sarees as long as he was alive. He did not want to let mother’s memories fade from his heart and mind. Mother has a cupboard in our house, in which all the things related to her are still kept. Cancer broke not only Nargis but also the entire Dutt family. Priya said that due to mother’s health, her one year of studies was interrupted. The entire Dutt family had shifted to America for Nargis ji’s treatment. Priya says, ‘I, Sanju and my sister were not very mature yet. Father was also very broken. We were trying to take care of him. We were so helpless that we even learnt to cook. Father had stopped eating and drinking. We used to think that maybe if we cook something for him, he will eat. Father used to think how he will take care of us alone. Till that time, it was mother who used to take care of everything from the house to the children. Father’s life used to be very busy. However, with time, father realized that now he is both the mother and father for his children. He became active again and started living for his children.’

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