Samay Exclusive: Nanda’s last interview

After your father Master Vinayak ji passed away prematurely you shouldered the responsibility of raising your siblings along with your mother. Was that tough? I think the blow of my father’s passing away made us all realise that we had to fend for ourselves and take care of Ayee ( mother). I made a mark with Toofan aur Diya and there was no looking back for me. I was at a party hosted by Bharat Bhooshan ji before the release of Sakshi Gopal and Dilip Kumar walked in. I was a huge fan of Dilip Sahab and I wanted to go up to him and tell him how much I admired him. But I was shy and feared that he might just snub me as he was such a big star. Just then I saw him walk towards me and I could hear my heart beats. He came up to me and asked me: aren’t you Master Vinayak ji’s daughter? I managed to say yes I am. He said he had seen Toofan aur Diya and he noticed great potential in me as an artiste. You could have knocked me down with a feather. That moment is etched in my mind because it gave me tremendous self confidence and the courage to face the challenges in life.