The late Nargis, often regarded as one of the finest movie stars in the history of Indian cinema, breathed her last in 1981. She died after a prolonged battle with cancer mere days before her son, Sanjay Dutt, made his acting debut with the film Rocky. Her daughter, former politician Priya Dutt, was only a teenager at the time. In an interview, she reflected on how turbulent that period was for the family, and how her father and brother dealt with it. Both of them suffered immensely during Nargis’ illness, especially when she was being treated in the United States.
In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Priya said that Nargis underwent seven surgeries in a single week at her lowest, and that the doctors had even warned Sunil Dutt that she might not survive the procedures. But she came through against all odds, and insisted upon returning to India. She knew that she didn’t have long, and remarked during an anniversary party that she was sure she wouldn’t be around for the next one. She died not too long afterwards, just four days before the premiere Sanjay Dutt’s first film. She had assured him that she’d be there even if she had to be rolled in on a stretcher. They left a seat vacant for her, in her honour. Before her death, Nargis had made it clear that she wanted to be buried next to her late mother.
In the interview, Priya said, “It was extremely hard on Sanjay that she wasn’t there to see his first film, and to see his career take off. Rocky’s premiere happened, and we kept a seat next to Papa, empty, for mom. Her funeral was a very surreal kind of a scene. My father, of course, had priests from all over who came and prayed for her. He said, ‘Many people told me that she was married to a Hindu, so she should have a Hindu funeral’. But he said, ‘No, it was her desire to be buried, and we will do everything according to her wishes’.”
Priya continued, “My mom wanted to be buried in her family kabristan. Then, we went to Haridwar also, mitti leke, with dad. When we brought her body home, there was all this press, and one person asked me how I was feeling. I must’ve said something, because Papa took us to a room and told us that if we want to cry and scream, we should do it with him, but outside, we must maintain our composure.”
Priya said that her father was a ‘broken man’ after Nargis’ death, and that he would have difficulty doing basic tasks. He would often wake up in the middle of the night and sit besides her grave, all alone. But he seemed to snap out of his grief overnight, once he realised that he would have to be there for his children, and especially Sanjay, who had spiralled into a drug addiction.
