This actress started working at 5, got engaged at 53 but never married due to…, later became a Sadhvi, she is…

While this actress' professional front was soaring high, her personal life was going through tough times. Scroll down to read her name and story.

Bollywood cinema consists of many actresses who preferred to remain unmarried throughout their lives. On the other hand, some did get engaged or married, but many times, their relationships faced turbulent times. Today, we will talk about an actress who gained massive fame and recognition at the age of 5 when she made her debut. While her professional front was soaring high, her personal life was going through tough times. Since this actress started at an early age, she played the role of a younger sister in several movies. If you are wondering who we are talking about, she is the late actress Nanda.

Born on January 8, 1939, as Nandini Karnataki, the actress appeared in Hindi and Marathi films. Nanda was regarded as one of the finest actors in the film industry during her time. Her career spanned over three decades, and she is best known for her roles in Chhoti Bahen, Dhool Ka Phool, Bhabhi, Kala Bazar, Kanoon, Hum Dono, Jab Jab Phool Khile, Gumnaam, Ittefaq, The Train, and Prem Rog.

Nanda was hardly 5 when she stepped into Indian cinema. Her father, renowned director Vinayak Damodar, wanted his daughter to become one of the biggest actresses in the industry. However, Nanda did not want the same. It was her mother who convinced her to go on sets. Further, for the film Mandir, Nanda had a bob-cut hairstyle, which gave more depth to her character. Sadly, after the production of the film was completed, her father passed away.

As a result, the entire responsibility of the household fell on Nanda’s shoulders. Hence, she started working in movies and helped her family sustain themselves.

Nanda’s Painful Personal Life

Nanda had a tragic love story. She was engaged to filmmaker Manmohan Desai. However, her world fell apart in 1994 when Desai passed away. Overwhelmed with grief, Nanda chose never to marry again.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Nanda’s brother, Jayprakash Vinayak, revealed, “Didi was shattered. After that day, she never wore colored clothes. She’d say, ‘Maine unko pati maana hai aur woh hamesha mere pati rahenge’ (In my mind, I was already married to him. He will always be my husband).” Later, she withdrew from society, wearing only white garments and lived life like a Sadhvi.