Yesteryear actress Nanda passes away at 75

The moment one hears the melodious ‘Yeh sama, sama hai ye pyar ka’ number from Jab Jab Phool Khile, Nanda gyrating to the tune in a beautiful surrounding will automatically come in the mind. Alas, the lady who was launched by her paternal uncle V Shantaram in his film Toofan Aur Deeya (1956) is no more. She breathed her last at her suburban apartment today (March 25) at 8.30 am. She was 75 years old. Daughter of yesteryear actor Master Vinayak who passed away when she was just eight years old, Nanda started acting from then and was lovingly called Baby Nanda. Then it was not for her desire but financial problems which made Nanda enter the film world as a child artiste; by this she helped her family. The actress, who has worked in over 70 films had Shashi Kapoor as her co-star in around eight films. With the Kapoor she did films like Mohabbat Isko Kahete Hain (1965), Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965), Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare (1966), Raja Saab (1969) and Rootha Na Karo (1970). Notably, it was because of her stellar performance in B R Chopra’s suspense thriller Ittefaq opposite Rajesh Khanna, that Nanda won a nomination for the best actress at the Filmfare awards. Nanda also had an affair with filmmaker Manmohan Desai, but it was short lived as within two years of their engagement that happened in June 18, 1992, Desai expired. A lost Nanda then developed friendship with Waheeda Rehman, Asha Parekh, Helen, Shammi and Saira Banu and maintained the same till her last breath. Nanda has also set records. She was the second highest paid Hindi actress along-with Nutan between 1960-1965 and second highest paid Hindi actress between 1966-1969 along with Nutan and Waheedha Rehman while she was the third highest paid actress with Sadhana between 1970-1973. Her top films include films like Bhabhi, Kala Bazaar, Dhool Ka Phool, Chhoti Bahen, Hum Dono, Gumnaam and Jab Jab Phool Khile. Nanda's last film was Prem Rog’, released in 1983, starring Padmini Kolhapure and Rishi Kapoor. Nanda’s last rites will be performed this evening.