Asha Parekh describes late actress Nanda as a ‘beautiful human being’; says she was never ‘into ugly competitiveness’ - Exclusive

If Nanda had lived longer, she would have been 86 on January 8. Her serene presence lit up many hits in the 1960s and 70s. Love and marriage eluded Nanda. She was engaged to marry filmmaker Manmohan Desai. But fate played a cruel hand, and Desai passed away before they could marry. Sighs Nanda’s best friend Asha Parekh, “It is all destiny. No one can fight it.”

“Nanda was a beautiful human being. Woh kissika bura nahin chahti thi. Nor was she into ugly competitiveness. She had her own place, and the roles that went to her were meant for her only,” she continues in an exclusive interview with us.

Asha Parekh feels Nanda had so much to offer but was typecasted to tragic roles

According to the veteran actress, her friend and late star was “unnecessarily typecast in weepie roles. But she was a fun person. When with her friends, me, Waheeda, and others, Nanda could be a lot of fun.”

“She was wonderful in a negative role in B R Chopra’s ‘Ittefaq.’ But such roles were not offered to her too often,” she added, highlighting how Nanda’s versatility and talent were never fully tapped.

Having said that, Asha Parekh mentioned how her friend never complained about it. If anything, she took pride in her work. “She had this goody-goody image, which she didn’t resent at all. In fact, she was proud of it. No one has a bad thing to say about Nanda,” said Asha Parekh.

About Nanda

Born in 1939, Nanda was a well-known name in Hindi and Marathi cinema. In a career spanning over decades, she worked with big names of the industry, including Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Kishore Kumar, Shashi Kapoor, and more. Some of her highly acclaimed movies included ‘Ahista Ahista,’ ‘Prem Rog,’ ‘Mazdoor,’ and more. Her screen presence was so strong that even in supporting roles, she used to leave an impact.