Today marks the 41st death anniversary of Nargis Dutt, born as Fatima Rashid, one amongst the most celebrated actors of the yesteryear. Nargis delivered many memorable roles in a career spanning over two decades from 40s to 60s. She is easily one of the most talented actors the Indian screen has seen, and has sealed her place in the annals of Indian history and the hearts and minds of millions of Indians.
Nargis was born to a Hindu father Mohanchand Uttamchand, a Punjabi Mohiyal brahmin, who later became Adbul Rashid, and well-known singer of Allahabad and later cinema personality, Jaddan Bai. She made her first film appearance in 1935, aged only 5, in a film called Talash-e-Haq. She made her debut as an adult in 1943 film Taqdeer, aged 14, opposite Motilal. Nargis was in a long-time relationship with Raj Kapoor, who was married with children. She reportedly asked him to divorce his wife which he refused. She then ended their nine-year-old relationship.
Best known for her classic role in Mother India (1957), Nargis also essayed roles well-acclaimed films like Awara (1951), Raat Aur Din (1967) and Shree 420(1955). In 1968, Nargis won the National Film Award for her role in Raat Aur Din. It is said that an accident on the sets of Mother India and Sunil Dutt’s valiant act of saving her was the reason that triggered their relationship. They married on March 11, 1958. Post her marriage to Sunil, Nargis quit films for good and settled into happy matrimony. Sunil and she have three children – Sanjay, Namrata and Priya.
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In her heydays too, Nargis hardly cared about her star status and would happily have pani pooris (an Indian street food) from roadside vendors. She was also an ace swimmer and loved playing cricket with her brothers. In early 1970s, she became the first patron of Spastics Society of India, and her subsequent work with the organisation brought her recognition as a social worker, and later a Rajya Sabha nomination in 1980.
Nargis died on May 3, 1981, battling pancreatic cancer, a few days before her son Sanjay Dutt made his debut in Hindi films. Her family had flown her to USA’s Memorial Sloan–Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Post her treatment there, she returned to India but her condition had deteriorated, and was admitted at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital. Nargis went into coma on May 2, 1981 and died the next day.
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