Sunil Dutt and Nargis’ love story: Inside one of Bollywood's greatest romances
On the occasion of Sunil Dutt's 97th birthday, look back at his and Nargis' love story, which is still regarded as one of Bollywood's most dreamy romances.
Sunil Dutt and Nargis love story
Several Bollywood couples have captivated audiences' attention with their dreamy, fairytale-like love stories. However, one couple who stand out for overcoming numerous challenges and creating a romance that seemed straight out of a storybook are Sunil Dutt and Nargis. On the occasion of Sunil Dutt’s 97th birth anniversary, let’s revisit their enduring love story, which is still regarded as one of Bollywood’s greatest love stories.
When did Sunil Dutt and Nargis met for the first time?
Sunil Dutt and Nargis first met in the mid-1950s on the sets of Balraj Sahni's film Do Bigha Zamin. It is believed that, at the time, Dutt was struggling in his career and was an aspiring actor and radio announcer. On the other hand, Nargis was already an established superstar, having starred in several blockbuster films like Andaz, Awaara, and Barsaat.
A hidden feeling and heroic rescue
Dutt was the one who fell first in love, much before Nargis realised her feelings for him. However, there were rumours of Nargis and Raj Kapoor's affair and Dutt decided to remain quiet. Years later, while shooting alongside Nargis in Mother India, things went haywire when the actress got trapped in a wildfire, and Dutt suddenly jumped in to save her. The incident was a turning point in their lives and the two grew closer as Nargis nursed Dutt back to health.
Secretly married
After the tragic incident, the two grew closer and decided to take their relationship to the next level. But before entering this new phase, they faced some criticism, as they had co-starred as mother and son in their most popular film, Mother India, and they also belonged to different religions. This led them to have a secret marriage in 1958 and make it official in 1959.
Grew into a family of 5
After marrying in 1958 in a private ceremony, Bollywood legends Sunil Dutt and Nargis continued spending a happy married life and grew into a family of five, welcoming three children, Sanjay Dutt, Namrata Dutt and Priya Dutt.
Sunil Dutt put his career on hold
In 1980, Nargis fell ill after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, which brought a storm into their peaceful married life. The two shared a story of profound devotion as Sunil put his career on hold to nurse her through brutal and harsh treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York and stayed devotedly by her side until she passed away in 1981.
Sunil Dutt never remarried
Despite reportedly being under societal pressure to move on, Dutt showed his loyalty and remained single after his wife's death. Deeply devoted to the memories of Nargis, Sunil Dutt never remarried. Instead, he channelled his grief into raising their three children single-handedly and dedicating his life to humanitarian work and social causes.
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