Bollywood : Old time actreess Nalini Jaywant died

[R. M. Dixit]

Nalini Jaywant, yesteryear actor, dies a lonely death

Nalini Jaywant.

MUMBAI: Mystery surrounds the death of yesteryear actor who, neighbours say, passed away three days ago in tragically lonely circumstances at her bungalow in Chembur. Her relatives and those she had once worked with in the film industry were all unaware of the passing of the star who scaled the heights of fame in the 1940s and 50s but had turned into a complete recluse for the last many years.

Jaywant's neighbour Ajay Kapoor told TOI that the security and domestic staff in the colony saw the body being taken away in an ambulance on Tuesday. However, by the time we got to know about it, it was all over, he said. "We heard from our staff that a man, who claimed to be a distant relative, came and took the body away. The house is locked and in complete darkness for the past three days, the servants have gone, and Nalinijis pet dogs are on the streets. We neighbours have been taking care of them," Kapoor said.

While the Chembur ward office said it could only confirm on Monday whether it had issued a death certificate for Jaywant, inquiries with the actress's relatives, too, drew a blank. "Her father was my cousin but we had lost touch for years," said veteran theatre person Vijaya Mehta.

Actress Tanuja, whose mother Shobhana Samarth was Jaywant's first cousin, was shocked to hear the news. So was Dev Anand with whom Jaywant did hit films like Munimji and Kala Pani with evergreen songs like 'Jeevan ke safar mein rahi' and 'Nazar laagi raja tore bangle par'.