Close X
Thursday, November 28, 2024
ADVT 
Bollywood

I saw my mother's beautiful traits in Nanda: Saira Banu

Darpan News Desk Darpan, 27 Mar, 2014 12:19 PM
  • I saw my mother's beautiful traits in Nanda: Saira Banu
Yesteryear actress Saira Banu remembers Nanda as "gentle, soft spoken and so unassuming" and added that she saw a lot of her mother's traits in the late actress.
 
 
"I met her very late. We began interacting when my husband worked with her in B.R. Chopra's "Mazdoor" in 1982. But we struck an instant rapport," said Saira Banu. 
 
"Nanda baaji, that's what I called her, was a Capricorn just like my mother. I saw a lot of my mother's beautiful traits in Nanda baaji. She was gentle, soft spoken and so unassuming. 
 
"She would always say, 'When I have to go, I want to go without getting in a hospital and going through a lot of pain.' It seems god does listen to good people. She went exactly the way she had hoped she would. She came out of the bathroom at 7 a.m. and collapsed. That was it! When death has to come, it should be instant." 
 
Nanda died Tuesday following a heart attack. She was 72. She acted for about four decades in over 65 titles including hits like "Gumnaam" and "Jab Jab Phool Khile". 
 
Nanda took retirement in 1995 and after that she stayed away from the media glare. Saira Banu says that the late star was a private person and only mingled with a set of friends.
 
 
"Not many knew Nanda baaji well. She had a tightly cordoned set of friends - Jabeen (Jaleel), Shakila and Waheeda (Rehman). Later that group was extended to Helen, Sadhana and Asha Parekh. Like I said, I came into Nanda Baaji's life very late. But the time we spent together was incredibly fruitful. 
 
"Like all actresses of our generation, she was thrilled to finally work with my husband. She told B.R. Chopra saab that even if it is just one frame, she would happily share it with Dilip saab as this would complete her career. 
 
"My husband immediately took to her because she was the well known Marathi actor Master Vinayak's daughter. He said something to her about her father in Marathi and Nanda baaji was blown away. 'How can he speak such fluent Marathi?' she wondered," said Saira Banu.
 
She added that Nanda was a foodie, but later she became a frugal eater. 
 
"Nanda baaji would come home to be with us. We would sit and chat on my bungalow's terrace. I'd serve her delicacies of shrimp and tikkas and other non-vegetarian stuff that she enjoyed at our home. 
 
"She was a foodie earlier, but later on in life she became a frugal eater just nibbling on food. And then eventually she stopped taking dinner altogether." 
 
Nanda's beautiful home used to be filled with the chatter of relatives and siblings, said Saira Banu.
 
"Gradually her relatives passed away and she was left with two brothers. I loved her gentle soft spoken demeanour. There was nothing crass or materialistic about her. She was happy to be who she was and with whatever she had. She wasn't money minded at all. As an actress I saw her in two of her films 'Jab Jab Phool Khile' and 'Choti Bahen'. She had a serene quality to her on screen.
 
 
"The one thing that she did not have and I do is a soulmate and a life companion. She was ready to marry (filmmaker) Manmohan Desai and then tragedy struck. I don't know what happened," she said referring to Nanda and Desai's engagement in 1992, but the filmmaker died in 1994 after falling from his balcony. 
 
"Nanda baaji used to say, 'Dua karo jab mein jaaoon toh bina kisi taqleef ke.' I also wish the same for Dilip saab and myself. Jaana toh hum sab ko hai. Just pray that we remain healthy as long as we are here," she added.

MORE Bollywood ARTICLES

Mahesh Bhatt has taken charge of my campaign: Ravi Kishan

Mahesh Bhatt has taken charge of my campaign: Ravi Kishan
Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishan, who will contest Lok Sabha election as a Congress candidate from his hometown of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, says filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is his guiding light during the electoral battle.

Mahesh Bhatt has taken charge of my campaign: Ravi Kishan

Sunny Leone ready for 'Ragini MMS 3'

Sunny Leone ready for 'Ragini MMS 3'
Following the response to her latest Bollywood release "Ragini MMS 2", Indo-Canadian adult film star Sunny Leone is game to be part of "Ragini MMS 3" if it is made.

Sunny Leone ready for 'Ragini MMS 3'

BJP fields Vinod Khanna from Gurdaspur

BJP fields Vinod Khanna from Gurdaspur
The Bharatiya Janata Party Tuesday announced nine candidates for Lok Sabha including actor-turned-politician Vinod Khanna from Gurdaspur in Punjab and Ram Swaroop Sharma from Mandi in Himachal Pradesh.

BJP fields Vinod Khanna from Gurdaspur

Shilpa says nothing wrong with no-pregnancy clause

Shilpa says nothing wrong with no-pregnancy clause
I don't think there is anything wrong with the clause. At the end of the day, we all are here to work and a lot of money is riding on the actors

Shilpa says nothing wrong with no-pregnancy clause

Ranbir in Sanjay Dutt biopic, Rajkumar Hirani to direct

Ranbir in Sanjay Dutt biopic, Rajkumar Hirani to direct

The story of Sanjay Dutt's life is likely to go on the screen and, if all goes well, director...

Ranbir in Sanjay Dutt biopic, Rajkumar Hirani to direct

Anushka on a thrilling road trip 'NH 10'

Anushka on a thrilling road trip 'NH 10'
Actress Anushka Sharma's first production venture "NH 10" will be co-produced by Eros International Media Limited (Eros International) and Phantom Films

Anushka on a thrilling road trip 'NH 10'