Mumbai– Late actor Sunil Dutt once candidly recalled the apprehension he felt about proposing to actress Nargis Dutt, particularly due to his mother’s deeply conservative views.
In a recently resurfaced episode of the popular talk show Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, hosted by Farooq Sheikh, Sunil Dutt shared the story of how he nervously proposed to Nargis—and how he feared that his mother’s traditional mindset might stand in the way of their union.
Recalling the moment, Dutt said: “I had a Fiat and offered to drop her at Marine Drive. She agreed casually. As I took a turn, I said, ‘I want to tell you something.’ She replied, ‘Yes, tell me Birju’—she used to call me Birju. I told her, ‘I want to marry you.’ She became completely silent.”
With no immediate response from Nargis, Dutt said he continued driving in awkward silence.
“She didn’t say yes or no. I dropped her off at Marine Drive and thought to myself—if she doesn’t say yes, I’ll go back to my village and take up farming,” he said, half in jest.
Later that night, a surprising moment awaited him at home.
“When I returned, my sister was laughing. She said, ‘Congratulations!’ I was confused and asked, ‘Congratulations for what?’ She said, ‘You didn’t tell me—Nargis said yes!’”
Nargis, through his sister, had asked Sunil to speak with his mother about the marriage.
“My mother was the most conservative woman I’ve ever known,” Dutt said. “I told her, ‘If you give me permission, I will marry Nargis.’”
To his surprise, her response was supportive: “She said, ‘I haven’t made your life—you’ve made it on your own. I know you won’t make any mistakes in life.’ And that’s how it all began,” he shared.
Sunil Dutt and Nargis were married on March 11, 1958, in a private ceremony, followed by a reception attended by close friends from the film industry. Their love story became one of Bollywood’s most iconic and enduring romances. (Source: IANS)
