Nargis and Sunil Dutt’s Marriage: The Fire That Changed It All

Nargis was so distressed by her estranged relationship with Raj Kapoor that she was even contemplating suicide. She was at the brink of shattering her personal life when one day during the making of the film Mother India, a fire scene suddenly went awfully wrong. The scene required Nargis to run between burning haystacks. The fire was under control up till a gust of wind set every piece of prop on the set ablaze, engulfing Nargis in a ring of fire. She later shared that a voice inside her mind asked her to stay within the ring of fire. Whether it was the premonition of rescuer’s approach or the ulterior motive to end her life, no one knows what made her think that way. But Sunil Dutt was watching out for her, and he just barged into the ring of the fire without a second thought, armed only with a blanket, wrapped Nargis with that blanket, and rushed her out of the blazing inferno. They were both badly burnt. Sunil had burns on his face and chest, and she had burns on her hands. Had Sunil not acted swiftly, Nargis would have lost her life. This was the start of Nargis and Sunil Dutt’s marriage and life together.

The two were rushed to a local dispensary where Nargis was treated for burns on her hand. When she visited Dutt’s ward to meet and thank him, she was shocked and grieved to see Dutt lying on a bed with his face partially burnt and body scalding in high fever. Suddenly, a flush of mixed emotions swept across her mind. There she was, loving a married man who spared no expense in acknowledging her space in his life while here was a shy newcomer who risked his life to save her. It was a moment of a life altering realisation for the young Nargis, a moment of clarity. Sunil opened his eyes from his state of semi-unconsciousness, and she finally got to thank him for everything he had just done. The more she spoke to him while at his bedside, the more she realised she was finally spending time with a person who treated her like a human being. Dutt’s shy and gentle behaviour was like a balm to all those wounds Kapoor had inflicted. She made it a point to take care of the man who risked everything for her. She would nurse him, bring food for him, and stayed by his side for the next two weeks. The fortnight they spent at that dispensary became a life altering experience, and by the time Dutt was discharged, they knew that they were very much in love.