Shining Mettle

Best known for her terrific portrayals in films as varied as Chhoti Behen,Jab Jab Phool Khile,Ittefaq and Shor,the actress is a revelation when we meet up. The epitome of grace,warmth and cheerfulness,she also is very forthright about every chapter in her life,once again proving that great talents never harbour insecurities,starry airs or complexes.

The low-profile achiever
Nanda must possibly rank as the lowest-profile actresses among the frontrunner leading ladies who reigned in the 60s,but this daughter of Marathi and Hindi acting legend Master Vinayak and actress Meenaxi and great-niece of the legendary V.Shantaram is no less than a legend herself.

And this is because Nandas achievements are in no way restricted to her solid performances in so many films. Losing her father,the illustrious Hindi-Marathi actor-director Master Vinayak who incidentally helped Lata Mangeshkar get her break in a small role in his 1942 Marathi movie Pahili Mangalagaur as actor-singer when Nanda was just eight years old,she began acting as Baby Nanda her most famous films being the Satyen Bose classic Jagriti when she was 15 and V. Shantarams Toofan Aur Diya. She moved on to supporting roles and finally broke through in 1959 with Yash Chopras debut film Dhool Ka Phool and L.V. Prasads Chhoti Behen.

Nanda was that one-woman army who also educated and settled six siblings,including filmmaker Jaiprakash Karnataki. Even more significantly in terms of a professional,she had a major role in establishing struggling heroes- be it Manoj Kumar,Dharmendra,Sanjeev Kumar,Shashi Kapoor,Sanjay Khan,Rajesh Khanna or Jeetendra.

The prolific mentor-cum-lucky mascot
Behind most successful heroes of the 60s looms the ever-smiling,pretty-as-a-picture figure of Nanda Vinayak Karnataki. She was Shashi Kapoors first heroine in Char Diwari after which they did seven more films together including the successful Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath and the blockbuster and Kapoors breakthrough Jab Jab Phool Khile,pre-success Dharmendra in Mera Qusoor Kya Hai and Akashdeep,Manoj Kumar before he hit big-time in Bedaag and Gumnaam,Sanjeev Kumar in Pati Patni and Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke,Jeetendra in Parivar and later in Badi Didi and also Dharti…,Sanjay Khan in Abhilasha and the hit Beti and Woh Din Yaad Karo later,Rajesh Khanna in Ittefaq,later followed by The Train and Joru Ka Ghulam,Deb Mukerji in his only hit,Adhikar and Vinod Mehra in one of his earliest signed films,Jurm Aur Saza.

Mala Sinha and I were the only heroines who made it a point to do this and even recommend these heroes names, smiles Nanda,lightly. As for me,I was considered very lucky for them.

Nandas filmography shows that she was the lucky mascot even for so many filmmakers and even music people. The long list included names like Yash Chopra,composer Jaidev,whose first and biggest-ever hit was Hum Dono set for a colorised release in February 2011 and whose Allah tero naam filmed on Nanda is his most popular song ever,Suraj Prakash Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath,Dulal Guha,whose first hit was Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke,also the successful beginning of Dharmendras secretary Dinanath Shastri as a producer,Harmesh Malhotra,who started out with Beti,Raj Kapoors secretary Hiren Khera who had a smash-hit start as producer with Jab Jab Phool Khile,which also saw career-breakthroughs for Shashi Kapoor,lyricist Anand Bakshi and composers Kalyanji-Anandji and finally Ramesh Behl,who began his production innings with The Train,which also saw the final breakthrough for R.D.Burman!

Lifes bouquets
Recalls Nanda,Rajendra Kumar had signed me for The Train opposite Rajesh Khanna. The first shot was to be canned at a bus-stop next to my bungalow and people in the neighbourhood asked me who my young co-star was. Later,Yash Chopraji started Ittefaq as a quickie shot within a month and I recommended Rajesh Khanna for the role. Ittefaq released immediately after Aradhana and Do Raaste,and after that one more shot had to be taken at the same bus-stop for The Train. This time,the entire lane was jammed with people wanting to see the new heartthrob! It would be pertinent to mention here that the third Rajesh Khanna-Nanda film was her brother-in-law C.V.K. Shastrys comedy,Joru Ka Ghulam.

The other incident pertains to Nandas first day of shooting for Ahista Ahista in the 80s. Hero Kunal Kapoor,Shashi Kapoors son,came and touched her feet. When I spontaneously said,Kunal,what are you doing?,he replied,My mother told me that you are the lady who brought my father into the industry! Jennifer was so amazing in her Indian values.

The star innings
Besides co-starring with the Top Three 8211; Dev Anand,Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar 8211; Nandas roster of leading men had almost every name worth the salt. Her youngest co-stars were Shatrughan Sinha,Navin Nischol Chhalia and Vinod Mehra Jurm Aur Saza and her only exceptions were Shammi Kapoor and Feroz Khan. Explains the actress,Feroz was largely doing supporting roles till 1970. And I quit in 1972. As for Shammi Kapoor,she candidly admits that both best friend Waheeda Rehman and she were scared of his wild reputation!

Smiles the star,I did not exactly get many offers with him,because I was known to work largely in serious films,but I would have hated having tensions on the sets, admits the actress. Later,we worked as character artistes in both Prem Rog and Ahista Ahista,and he said,I know you were scared of me. Par kya main tumhe khaa jaata? Would I have eaten you up?. But I told him frankly that his reputation had frightened me.

The comeback
But why did she quit films and come back for a while in the 80s? I belong to a generation that believed in a family atmosphere at work. That had begun to erode and actors had begun doing multiple films. I had settled everyone as well as myself,so I chose to opt out. I had no intention of coming back.

But a decade later,at a party at her friend Waheeda Rehmans house,Raj Kapoor suggested that Nanda should not let her talent rust and offered her Prem Rog. Why are you not working? Raj asked her. An artiste like you should work. Will you work with me? I am planning a film and I would like you to play the chhoti bahu.

Nanda replied that she would do the film only provided she liked the story,and the filmmaker just stared at her because people did not say that to him! Then he said,You are the first person to ask Raj Kapoor for a story! Okay,done!

The next day,Raj called Nanda up. Did you think that I was drunk? he demanded. I want you to do the film! He sent his writer Jainendra Jain for a narration. Recalls the actress: My role had three standout sequences 8211; which were enough to show my calibre 8211; so I was on.

Around that time,Eesmayeel Shroff offered her Ahista Ahista. Says Nanda,He showed me the Tamil original and wanted me to do a soft role because he could not visualise me as someones mistress,since I looked too shareef. I told him that I would only do the latter role 8211; or not do the film. I argued that my character was forced by circumstances to become someones keep,so I did not have to look disrespectable or cheap! And he agreed.

Mazdoor was tempting because Dilip Kumar and she had never worked together. Yusufsaab had always thought that as a pair we would be mismatched. Tum to Baby Nanda lagogi You will look like a child opposite me,he would tell me, says the actress. This was her last film.

The role of destiny
But despite her string of hits and great performances,Nanda was never really considered in the league of the great actresses. We had a branding then and I was one of the suffering trio! she declares. Waheeda Rehman was the suffering girl in roles that needed dancing,Mala Sinha would suffer when glamour was needed,and I was the innocent who suffered! When I had centric roles in such films,I was also compared to Meena Kumari,whose image was similar but who was my senior.

Smiles Nanda,Everything is about destiny. So many of my great performances suffered because the films failed or did average business,like Usne Kaha Tha,Char Diwari,Nartaki and Aaj Aur Kal. Even in my brother-in-laws film Naya Nasha,there was a lot of scope,but he signed the wrong director and he messed things up!

And destiny it was,says Nanda,that she remained unmarried and even her late union with filmmaker Manmohan Desai was never to be.

Opening up on a rare chapter in her life,she says,Manji had always been a crazy fan of mine but had never mustered the courage to sign me for any of his films. When he was introduced to me by Shashi Kapoor when we were shooting on neighbouring sets,he was quite tongue-tied! When we came to know each other well a decade after that,he confessed to have gone back to his sets that day and danced like a madman after meeting me! We had a lot in common,which is why we clicked.

And yet it is destiny that has given her a rare distinction 8211; she is the only Hindi film actor to have worked at least once under every Dadasaheb Phalke laureate filmmaker who has been active in Hindi films in her time. She takes the revelation lightly and smiles,Thats interesting. I never thought of that. The list includes V.Shantaram Toofan Aur Diya,Nitin Bose Nartaki,Umeed,L.V.Prasad,who produced Chhoti Behen,Hrishikesh Mukherjee Aashiq,B.R.Chopra Kanoon,Dhool Ka Phool,Ittefaq,Mazdoor,Yash Chopra Dhool Ka Phool,Ittefaq,Raj Kapoor Prem Rog and Dev Anand Hum Dono!

Add Bimal Roy,Manoj Kumar,Vijay Anand and Vasant Joglekar and banners like AVM Productions and you could say that she has a full hand!

The fathers blessing
Despite hailing from an actors family,Nanda and her siblings had a strict upbringing. My father never reached the top because he never compromised on morals and never spoke anything but the truth, she says. He taught us all the same values. He would never believe that your destiny was written on your forehead. He would say,When people say this,they cant look above that!

Then and now
Nanda is clued into todays films,likes many of them,but feels that the soul is often missing. Thats why there are no classics being made. I love Madhuri Dixit,Kajol and Juhi Chawla as actresses of substance. In our time,heroines had an instant identification 8211; they were role-models for daughters,sisters and daughters-in-law. It made fans have a direct rishta with us, she feels.

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