Nanda: Bollywood's most elusive star

Actress Nanda was born on January 8, 1939 in Mumbai, the daughter of Marathi actor-director Master Vinayak and actress Meenaxi. She was among the brightest of Bollywood's stars of the Sixties and Seventies. Nanda died at the age of 75 on March 25.

Nanda's uncle was film pioneer V Shantaram and her cousin was Brahmachari actress Rajshree. After her father died, Nanda began her career as a child artiste aged eight. She appeared in films like Mandir (1948) and Jagriti (1954) under the name Baby Nanda.

Nanda's first grown up role came in V Shantaram's 1956 film Toofan Aur Diya. In 1957's Bhabhi, co-starring Balraj Sahni, Nanda played the widowed sister of the protagonist and was nominated for a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Two years later came the film that made her a star, Chhoti Bahen opposite Balraj Sahni.

She was then cast in big movies like Hum Dono (1961) and Teen Deviyan (1965) opposite big heroes like Dev Anand.

1960's Anchal fetched her the Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress. She would later be nominated for Best Actress for 1969's Ittefaq and twice again for Best Supporting Actress for Ahista Ahista (1981) and Prem Rog (1982).

Nanda co-starred with Shashi Kapoor before he was an actor of any great success and became a hit screen couple in films like Jab Jab Phool Khile (1965). Mr Kapoor has often named her his favourite co-star.

In 1970, Nanda convinced The Train co-producer Rajendra Kumar - her co-star from Dhool Ka Phool and Kanoon - to cast the struggling Rajesh Khanna. The Train became a hit.

In the 80s, Nanda appeared in her final films, Prem Rog, Ahista Ahista and Mazdoor. She was nominated at the Filmfare Awards for Prem Rog and Ahista Ahista, playing Padmini Kolhapure's mother in both.

In 1992, Waheeda Rehman, Nanda's best friend since they co-starred in 1960's Kala Bazar, brokered a romance between the actress and Amar Akbar Anthony director Manmohan Desai, resulting in an engagement.

Mr Desai died tragically two years later and Nanda remained unmarried ever since.