When Nanda was shocked by Manmohan Desai's death after their engagement, never wore colorful outfits, diamonds, said, "Maine unko pati maana hai aur ab waise bhi..."

Actor Nanda Karnataki, renowned for her roles in classics like Chhoti Bahen, Dhool Ka Phool, Bhabhi, and Gumnaam, experienced an enduring, tragic love story with filmmaker Manmohan Desai. Nanda's heart-wrenching journey began when she got engaged to Manmohan Desai in 1992. However, just two years later, the world was shaken by Manmohan's sudden death in 1994, leaving Nanda devastated. She never married again and led a solitary, deeply affected life until her own death in 2014.

Veteran actor Nanda

In an intimate interview with Pinkvilla, Nanda's brother Jayprakash Winayak shared the emotional and personal journey of Nanda’s love story with Manmohan Desai. He revealed how their love blossomed, beginning with the efforts of Manmohan's son, from his first marriage to Jeevanprabhaji, who enlisted actress Waheeda Rehman’s help to bring the couple together.
Jayprakash explained, “Waheedaji organised a small dinner. After dinner, they left didi and Manji alone.

Manji then revealed his feelings to didi saying, ‘I want to marry you’.” Nanda, though touched, replied she needed to discuss the proposal with her family. "On her return that night, I was the first one with whom she discussed the proposal. I said Manji was a respected filmmaker, a wonderful person and a charming personality and that she should go ahead. ‘I want to see you settled,’ I said." After receiving the family's approval, Nanda called Waheeda to confirm her acceptance, and a second meeting was arranged at their home, where Nanda expressed her desire for a traditional wedding.

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However, life took a tragic turn in 1994 when Manmohan Desai passed away unexpectedly. Nanda, overwhelmed by grief, chose to never marry again. Jayprakash shared a poignant memory of Nanda's deep sorrow after Manmohan's death, saying, “Didi was shattered. After that day, she never wore coloured 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).”

Nanda and Manmohan Desai

Nanda’s grief was profound, and it manifested in the way she lived her life thereafter. Jayprakash further recalled that Nanda withdrew from society, wearing only white garments as a symbol of her commitment to Manmohan’s memory. He said, “The white libaas (garment) was her answer to all those who, in the coming years, suggested that she get married again. She stopped meeting people because she didn’t want any discussion on the same topic.”

Nanda, once passionate about travel and films, also gave up on those joys. “She almost imprisoned herself,” Jayprakash remarked. “She was passionate about travel but after Manji, she gave up on that. She stopped visiting theatres to watch films, something she once loved. She arranged for a home theatre instead.” Even her love for diamonds, once a source of joy, faded away. “Ab kya rakkha hai!” she would say, reflecting the loss of interest in material things.

Nanda with Waheeda Rehman

Nanda's life after Manmohan’s death was a testament to her undying love for him. She chose a life of solitude and devotion, living like a sanyasin (a saint), and never remarried. The death of Manmohan Desai marked not only the end of a beautiful love story but also a profound shift in Nanda's life, which she spent as a widow in both spirit and dress.
Source: Pinkvilla