Born Fatima Rashid, Nargis Dutt was regarded as one of the iconic actresses of Indian cinema. In a three-decade career, Nargis appeared in many successful films, including Andaz, Aag, Barsaat, Shree 420, Chori Chori, Mother India, and many more. Her contribution to Indian cinema is commendable, and she was every man's dream woman.
Among her many followers was actor, Sunil Dutt, who was one of her biggest fans. Nargis met Sunil Dutt for the first time on the sets of Do Bigha Zameen and at that time, Sunil was an aspiring actor while Nargis was already an established star. However, it was on the sets of Mehboob Khan’s movie, Mother India, when love blossomed between Nargis and Sunil. They got secretly married on March 11, 1958, and she left her super-successful career for her family.
In 1981, Nargis bid adieu to the world after giving a tough fight to pancreatic cancer. She left a void in the Dutt household. It was Nargis’ husband, Sunil Dutt, who was deeply affected by her untimely demise. In a throwback interview, Sunil Dutt was seen talking about losing his wife and said:
“Insaan sochta hai ke shaayad kisi ke jaane ke baad wo jee nahi paayega, magar pata nahi kaise jee jaate hain. Aur mai khud jeer raha hoon aur meri zindagi is waqt jo chal rahi hai to Mother India ka gaana kabhi kabhi bahut yaad aata hai jo unhone hi gaya tha. Ye meri khusnaseebi hai ke merei zindagi mein ek aesi aurat aayi jo ek bahut mahaan kalaakar bhi thi aur achi insaan bhi thi aur unki wajah se meri zindagi me kaafi kuch achi cheezin aayi.”
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During the shooting of the iconic film, Mother India, a massive fire broke out on the sets, and Nargis was stuck in the fire. That was the moment when Sunil Dutt, like a true hero, did not care about his life while saving Nargis's life. Sunil had gotten burnt badly and was in high fever, too. It was Nargis who had taken care of him day and night. During that time, the two had come closer to each other.
It was in 1980 when Nargis fell ill and was hospitalised. Initially, doctors thought that the actress was suffering from jaundice. Her condition kept worsening, and she lost weight rapidly. After 15 days of tests, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and for the treatment, Nargis went to New York. She later came to India, but her condition worsened. And on the fateful day of May 3, 1981, Nargis had bid adieu to the world at the age of 52.
After the fire incident during the shoot of Mother India, Nargis wished to be buried after her death. In a throwback interview, Namrata recalled her mother’s last wish and how she was dressed in her wedding attire during her last rites. Elaborating on the same, Namrata penned:
“Mom had a fear of fire after the Mother India accident. Her last wish was that she be buried. Dad fulfilled that. For the final farewell, she was dressed in her wedding attire – a red and green gota saree. The premiere of Sanjay’s debut film Rocky was held on 7 May 1981. As a mark of respect for Mom, who was so keen to watch the film, a chair was left vacant between Dad and Sanjay."
Nargis and Sunil Dutt were the iconic couple of Bollywood who reinstated our faith in love and marriage.
Also Read: Sunil Dutt Had Refused To Pull Out Wife, Nargis Dutt From Life Support After She Slipped Into Coma
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