'Nanda was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper'

Subhash K Jha

'She was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper. She loved being at home.'

'She was a delight to work with. Unlike many heroines, she never threw tantrums on the sets.'

Asha Parekh, one of Nanda's closest friends, and Sanjay Khan, her costar in three films -- Beti, Abhilasha and Woh Din Yaad Karo -- remember the yesteryear actress, who passed away on March 25.

Asha Parekh

I spoke to her over the phone on Monday night (March 24). She was gone the next day.

She sounded absolutely normal. It is frightening to know that sometimes you don't even get a chance to say goodbye. It reminds one just how fragile life is.

We (along with Helen, Waheeda Rehman and Sadhna) would meet regularly. Sadhana had lately been busy, so she couldn't join us every time. In fact, she couldn't even make it to the funeral.

All four of us had met on Saturday for lunch. That was just three days before she was suddenly snatched away from us.

Now I wonder if the rest of us will ever meet without missing her constantly.

She was a soft-spoken person, who never lost her temper. She loved being at home.

She had become more of a homebody in the later years. She loved her family. The death of one of her brothers a few years ago left her shattered. 

Getting Nanda out of the house was an ordeal.

She had come for my 60th birthday but didn't show up for the 70th.

But I never held that against her. I knew it was too much work for her to dress up for public appearances.

We were very close. We spoke about everything under the sun. My last conversation with her is now etched permanently on my mind.

It's hard to believe that now when I dial her number, she won't be there on the other end of the line. I have lost not just a friend but my confidante.