Nanda (Nandini Karnataki) on Death Anniversary: A Symbol of Woman Power, Struggle & Empowerment!

Nanda (Nandini Karnataki): With a beautiful calm face, soft body, sweet voice and ocean of love in her eyes, Nanda Karnataki was the epitome of Indian womanhood. She is remembered as one of the most versatile and talented actresses of Indian cinema. Nanda was a pioneer in women-centric films who redefined the portrayal of women on screen. In a career spanning over three decades, she gave memorable performances that showcased her ability to balance the sensibilities of a traditional woman and a modern woman in her roles. 

Nanda: The Trailblazing Actress Who Redefined Bollywood Heroines

Nanda's career spanned from the 1940s to the 1980s, including superhits like 'Chhoti Behan' (1959), in which she played a blind sister, and 'Jab Jab Phool Khile' (1965), in which she played a rich woman who falls in love with a poor Kashmiri guide. Her bold choice of roles such as an adulteress in 'Ittefaq' (1969), a drug addict in 'Naya Nasha' (1974), and a mistress in 'Ahista Ahista' challenged the norms of women in Hindi cinema and demonstrated her commitment to portraying women of very different natures. In the sixties, when heroines in most Bollywood films were treated as objects of beauty, decoration and secondary to the heroes, Nanda was praised for her ability to bring depth to women-centric stories. She earned several Filmfare nominations and won the Best Supporting Actress award for her strong roles in films such as Anchal (1960).

I met Nanda many years ago. Pannalal Vyas, a senior journalist from Mayapuri, took me to meet her. By then, Nanda had stopped working in films. Her youngest brother Jaiprakash arranged the interview at her bungalow in Bandra. Although Nanda did not like personal questions at all and she had warned me about this at the beginning of the interview, still many things were present from the other side of the windows of her mind. The initial talk was about her films. Then she revealed many truths about her childhood, her family and her life. But somehow the conversation stopped at women's power and the place of women in society. She shared a deep thought-provoking thought on womanhood, which still resonates in my mind. She spoke very brilliantly about the struggle of women, their inner strength, and the power to fight alone at every stage of life.

He had said, "Is a woman's privacy different from that of a man's? Is a woman given her rightful space? And if yes, then at what level? Can't her place be purely personal? Which can be different from the house and caste of her father, husband or son? Can anyone tell a restless woman, who has been searching for the ground of her identity for centuries, the address of that ground? Does the society know how a woman establishes and exiles herself with different identities and uniformity in her imagination at the same time? Why has a woman's intelligence also been considered a curse? Why does a talented woman have to run away from her dreams and why does she have to fight the battle of relationships again and again?"

At that moment, I could not understand what language she was talking about. When I asked her to elaborate on these thought-provoking words, Nanda's eyes reflected both wisdom and pain. "Women are often in conflict in every aspect of their lives but still maintain a balance between strength and weakness, dreams and reality," she said. She was referring to the myriad emotions and roles that women play - daughter, sister, wife, mother, professional. All of them are colored with sacrifice and dedication. Yet, this category is often overlooked or underestimated.

Nanda described solitude as an integral part of a woman's life. She said, "A woman's solitude is not loneliness but a place where she encounters herself. It is different from that of a man's because it is laden with social expectations and personal aspirations." Nanda believed that this solitude is both empowering and isolating, a paradox that defined the life journey of many women. Her question about "a land different from the father's house, the husband's house, or the son's house" reflects the universal aspiration for an identity beyond familial or social roles. She lamented how women are often limited by structures such as love, caste or tradition that determine their choices. "A woman, she said, is always in search of her true self, a place that is only her own. But society rarely gives her the address of this home."

The imagery of the "tormented woman" trying to forget her dreams and the woman who is compromising her duties with desires symbolizes the eternal struggle. Nanda compared this struggle to a battle where moral dilemmas clash with emotional truths. She believed that these experiences are often ignored or simplified in the male-dominated society's understanding of womanhood. She said, "Every relationship is a battlefield where a woman fights not only with external expectations but also with her internal contradictions." Nanda's own life also reflects these reflections. She started acting at the young age of seven after losing her father, earning bread and butter for the entire family, becoming the breadwinner of the family. Despite achieving stardom in films like 'Toofan Aur Diya, Kala Bazaar, Hum Dono', 'Teen Deviyan', Parivar, Beti, Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke, Badi Didi, Jab Jab Phool Khile', 'Ittefaq', 'Shor', Chhalia and many such films, she remained grounded and introspective. Her decision to remain unmarried after the tragic death of her fiancé Manmohan Desai was another testimony to her strength in navigating the vicissitudes of life.

Through her roles and personal philosophy, Nanda became an icon of empowered womanhood. Whether playing the blind sister in 'Choti Behan' or challenging social norms in 'Ittefaq', she brought authenticity to each character. She believed that cinema could be a medium to explore these inner conflicts and provide women with stories that validated their experiences. Nanda ji's words reflected her "deep thinking" about the emotional landscape of women and social challenges and I, due to my tender age, was unable to fathom what she was saying. Seeing my stunned face, she took a deep breath and paused. Then she said, "Well, since we are talking about cinema, it would be appropriate to say that the artistic and creative world can be a medium to empower women by showcasing their multifaceted identity.

Nanda's identity is not limited to her films, but she has also been influential as a symbol of decency and self-power. At a time when most Bollywood heroines preferred to be associated with top heroes and rejected newcomers to protect their reputation and career, Nanda was not that kind of weak-hearted woman. She signed films with many new actors like Shashi Kapoor and encouraged them who were struggling in those days. This was a proof of her womanly generosity. As we remember Nanda on this Women's Day, her words remind us of the silent battles that women fight every day - the battle for identity, respect and self-expression. Her words full of emotional depth resonate with the struggles and victories of women everywhere. In our interview, she expresses her views on the complexities of a woman's existence, her legacy lies not only in her films but in her ability to convey the untold truths of womanhood with such accuracy.

Despite retiring from films after 1982, her impact is indelible. She passed away on March 25, 2014, leaving behind a treasure trove of acting that continues to inspire today.

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