There isn’t a single individual in the Hindi film industry who doesn’t miss the great Nargis Dutt, star of some of the greatest films ever made like Mother India, Shree 420, and many more.
Says Manisha Koirala, ”I had the rare opportunity to play Nargijis in Raj Kumar Hirani’s Sanju. I couldn’t capture even an iota of her ebullience, generosity, and zest for life. I wish I had known her personally. She had a massive influence on everyone who touched her life.”
Nargisji’s son, Sanjay Dutt, almost breaks down when talking of his mother. “I miss her, yaar! I miss her all the time. And you know what? I don’t think my troubles would have happened if she was with me. I kind of lost my way after she was gone. She was my anchor and my fairy godmother. She made every wish of mine come true.”
The much-missed Lataji and Nargisji were very close friends, and the actress insisted on Lataji’s ghost voice.
Lataji once recalled, “Nargis lived in Marine Drive, quite close to Walkeshwar, where I stayed. So we met at home as well as at the recording studios. She used to be present for all the song recording of Raj Kapoor’s films. I remember she would bring sandwiches to the studios and feed all of us. Jaane kahan gaye woh din!”
Lataji remembered the Mother India actress as possessing tremendous elegance. “She was a woman with great poise. Her lifestyle, clothes, and speech were always proper. I never saw her improperly dressed. She always wore white saris with matching accessories. And since white was my favourite colour she would send over the door-to-door sari sellers from Lucknow to my house. I have never seen her wearing non-white.”
I remember the enigmatic Rekha’s words to me on Nargis: “She was visible everywhere from cinema to politics. And yet, what mystique she conveyed! To this day, she’s an enigma to everyone, including her own children. Sanju (Sanjay Dutt) remembers her only for the love that she showered on him and that he gave back to her unconditionally. Beyond that, he knows nothing about her.”
