Nanda (Tamil)
Mumbai, British India Occupation: Actor Years active: 1957- present
Early life
She comes from a show-business family. Her father, Vinayak Damodar Karnataki a.k.a Master Vinayak, was a successful Marathi actor-director in the 1930s and 1940s. He died when Nanda was just a child. The family faced hard times. She became a child artiste and helped out her family by working in films like Jaggu in the early 50’s. She was tutored at home by renowned school-teacher and Bombay Scouts Commissioner, Gokuldas V. Makhi.
Career
Her paternal uncle V. Shantaram gave Baby Nanda ( her screen name then ) a big break by casting her in a successful brother-sister saga Toofan Aur Diya (1956). She received her first Filmfare nomination as Best Supporting Actress for "Bhabhi" (1957), but she claims that the reason she didn't win was because there was lobbying involved.[1]. She then played supporting roles like sister to stars like Dev Anand in Kala Bazaar [2], and did small roles in big films like Dhool Ka Phool.
She played the title role in L.V. Prasad's Chhoti Bahen (1959) and the movie was a big hit, making her a star.[3] She then played lead roles, such as one of Dev Anand’s heroines in Hum Dono (1961). She was the heroine in B R Chopra's Kanoon (1960), a film that was very unusual back then, because it had no songs. She won the Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award for "Anchal (film)" (1960).
She starred with Shashi Kapoor in a lot of films while he was a newcomer, but they were not successful. But they later had a super hit with Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965). In this film Nanda played a westernised role for the first time and it helped her image [4]. Her favorite song that was famously picturized on her in the film was "Yeh Samaa." (Shashi Kapoor would later declare that Nanda was his favorite heroine.) She also had a second hit film in 1965 with Gumnaam, which helped put her in the top league of heroines.[5] She would continue to play heroine roles throughout the 1960s and signed with new leading men, such as Rajesh Khanna in the songless suspense thriller Ittefaq (1969) for which she received a Filmfare nomination as Best Actress. After Khanna became a star, he signed two more films with her, the thriller The Train (Hindi film) (1969) and a comedy Joroo Ka Ghulam (1972).
After a small role in Manoj Kumar's Shor (1972),Nanda did few more films such as Chhalia (1973), Naya Nasha (1974), then stopped appearing in films. In 1982, she came back in three films, all coincidentally playing heroine Padmini Kolhapure's mother in Ahista Ahista (1981 film), Mazdoor and Raj Kapoor's Prem Rog. Then she permanently retired from acting.
Personal life
She has been close friends with actress Waheeda Rehman, ever since they co-starred in Kaala Bazaar. In 1965, when she was filming Jab Jab Phool Khile, director Suraj Prakash recalled that a very handsome Maharashtrian Lieutenant Colonel had been smitten by Nanda and had asked him to forward his marriage proposal to her mother, but in the end, nothing came of it. Nanda's brothers also brought home many suitors for her, but she turned them down. In 1992, a middle-aged Nanda became engaged to director Manmohan Desai at the urging of her best friend actress Waheeda Rehman. But he committed suicide in 1994, before they could tie the knot, and Nanda has remained unmarried.[6]
Today, Nanda lives in her residence in Mumbai interacting only with close friends and family.
Filmography
- Prem Rog(1983)
- Mazdoor (1982)
- Ahista Ahista (1981 film)
- Zurm Aur Sazaa(1979)
- Umeed (1974)
- Asliyat (1974)
- Naya Nasha(1974)
- Chhaliya(1973)
- Kaun Katil(1973)
- Woh Din Yaad Karo(1972)
- Prayeshchit(1972)
- Adhikar(1971)
- Shor(1972)
- Joroo Ka Ghulam (1972)
- Beti(1970)
- Rootha Na Karo(1970)
- The Train (Hindi film) (1970)
- Badi Didi(1969)
- Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke(1969)
- Raja Saheb(1969)
- Ittefaq (1969)
- Abhilasha(1968)
- Juari(1968)
- Parivar(1967)
- Pati Patni(1966)
- Neend Hamari Khwab Tumhare(1966)
- Bedaag(1965)
- Akash Deep(1965)
- Mera Qasoor Kya Hai(1965)
- Mohabbat Isko Kehte Hain(1965)
- Gumnaam (1965)
- Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965)
- Teen Deviyan (1965)
- Kaise Kahoon(1964)
- Nartaki(1963)
- Aaj Aur Kal (1963)
- Mehndi Lagi Mere Haath (1962)
- Aashiq (1962)
- Char Diwari (1961)
- Hum Dono (1961)
- Amar Rahe Yeh Pyar (1961)
- Kanoon (1960)
- Usne Kaha Tha (1960)
- Kala Bazaar (1960)
- Anchal (film) (1960)
- Apna Ghar(1960)
- Jo Hua So Bhool Jaa(1960)
- Chhoti Bahen (1959)
- Barkha (1959)
- Qaidi No.911 (1959)
- Agra Road (1959)
- Naya Sansar (1957)
- Pehli Raat (1959)
- Chand Mere Aaja (1958)
- Saakshi Gopal (1957)
- Dhool Ka Phool (1957)
- Bhabhi (1957)
- Zara Bachke (1957)
- Dulhan (1957)
- Bandi (1957)
- Luxmi (1957)
- Ram Luxman (1957)
- Toofan Aur Deeya (1956)
- Angaray (1954)-AS CHILD ARTIST-AS BABY NANDA
- Jagat Guru (1954)-AS CHILD ARTIST
- Shankaracharya (1954)-AS CHILD ARTIST
- Jaggu (1952)-AS CHILD ARTIST
- Mandir (1948)-AS CHILD ARTIST
Awards and nominations
- Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress in a Supporting Role--"Bhabhi" (1957)
- Filmfare Best Supporting Actress Award--"Aanchal" (1960) [7]
- Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress-- Ittefaq (1969)
- Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress in a Supporting Role--Ahista Ahista (1981 film)
- Filmfare Nomination as Best Actress in a Supporting Role--Prem Rog (1982)[8]
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