Nargis: An unforgettable presence on silver screen

Born on June 1, 1929, she was named Fatima Rashid. She was the daughter of actress, singer and filmmaker Jaddanbai. When just five years old, her mother introduced her as a child star, Baby Rani.

Her first adult lead role was in Mehboob Khan's Taqdeer (1943) opposite Motilal. She carved a niche in the same filmmaker's Humayun (1945) as Hamida Bano. However, the path to stardom came with Andaaz (1949) and Barsaat (1949). Andaaz remains one of the best love-triangles in Hindi cinema with Nargis turning in a fine performance as the urban woman caught between Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor.

Nargis often played women caught in a dilemma, leading to a tragic end -- Mela (1948), Andaaz (1949), Jogan (1950), Babul (1950), Deedar (1951) and Bewafaa (1952) among others.

Meanwhile off-screen, the grapevine was rife with gossip about her affair with the already married Raj Kapoor. After Awaara (1951) she paired up almost exclusively with him, even turning down her mentor Mehboob's Aan (1952). Film-goers watched enthralled as the duo romanced each other in several films. In Shree 420 (1955), for instance, there was an unforgettable song, Pyar Hua Ikrar Hua which depicted Nargis and Raj prancing around under an umbrella in heavy rain.

By 1956 the pair had gone their separate ways. Chori Chori (1956), a breezy entertainer based on Frank Capra's It Happened One Night (1934), was their last film together. However, she did a special appearance in Raj Kapoor’s production Jagte Raho (1956) for old times sake. Critics and viewers felt it was fitting that at the end of the film she was the woman who finally quenched Raj Kapoor's thirst.

Later, Mehboob offered her a role in his magnum opus Mother India (1957).

Mother India is a moving film, which depicts the sufferings of an Indian peasant woman. Nargis made this role unforgettable with a strong and earthy performance. The film represented the pinnacle of her career and won her the Best Actress award at the prestigious Karlovy Vary festival. Mother India was also nominated for the Oscar for Best Foreign Film but it lost to Fredrico Fellini's Nights of Caberia by a solitary vote!

The film was a turning point for Nargis in more than one way. Apparently while shooting for Mother India, Nargis was trapped amidst lit haystacks. As the flames leapt skywards, Sunil Dutt playing her rebellious son, Birju, in the film ran through the fire and rescued her. Subsequently he proposed to her. Nargis married Sunil Dutt and quit films after the marriage. However, she did lend her voice and we see her silhouette in Sunil Dutt's 'one actor movie monument' Yaadein (1964) and she did make a comeback of sorts expertly playing a woman with a split personality in Raat Aur Din (1967) winning a National Award for the work.

In addition to films, Nargis had philanthropic leanings. The first film personality to be awarded the Padmashree, her charitable work for spastics saw her nominated to the Rajya Sabha. She died of cancer in 1981, the same year her son Sanjay Dutt made his screen debut with Rocky.

Compiled by Cultural Correspondent