Manmohan Desai was a huge name for mainstream commercial Bollywood in the 70-80s. The architect of numerous hits such as Amar Akbar Anthony and Deewar, Manmohan Desai was one of the reasons why Amitabh Bachchan’s career rose to phenomenal heights. And his love story with actor Nanda was also the subject of great public interest and gossip back in the day. Today, February 26, is the filmmaker’s birth anniversary.
Desai’s films were huge hits, and they re-defined commercial cinema in the ’60s and ’70s. However, his personal life was quite tragic. Manmohan Desai was married to Jeevanprabha Desai, but she died ten years into their marriage. The two had a son Ketan Desai, who is a director in his own right.
After Jeevanprabha’s death, Manmohan decided to make Nanda his life partner. According to reports, Desai was madly in love with Nanda, who also liked him back. However, Nanda was very shy, so Manmohan was quite hesitant in approaching her first. He and Nanda even got engaged when they were both in their fifties.
The two wanted to get married immediately but decided to postpone it owing to Nanda’s mother, who was battling cancer. However, Manmohan Desai died in an accident after falling from the balcony of his home. His death remains a mystery to this day. Some say he died by suicide, while others deem it murder. But nothing was known for sure.
Manmohan’s death, which took place on 1 March 1994, shook up Bollywood. Nanda never married and died of a heart attack on 25 March 2014.
