The romance of Nargis and Sunil Dutt has inspired more than one tribute this year alone.
After Mr and Mrs Dutt: Memories of Our Parents - a memoir compiled by their children Priya and Namrata - comes Kishwar Desai's Darlingji, which was released in New Delhi by director Shyam Benegal.
The book, which documents the love story of the thespians of yesteryear, could well be an inspiration for the making of a film.
Corroborating this, Benegal said, "On the face of it, it is an unlikely subject for a film, but after reading the book, I can say not one but several films can be made from it."
'Darlingji' is how Nargis and Sunil Dutt used to hail each other.
Sunil and Nargis Dutt's was a relationship not many people know about, unlike the much-publicised Rajkapoor-Nargis affair.
"Both of them were celebrities but when it came to their personal lives, the two were extremely private people," Benegal said.
Calling the Dutts an unforgettable couple, Benegal also paid an handsome tribute to the book.
"This is the first film-based biography which is not based on gossip," he said.
The author, Kishwar Desai, painstakingly researched the lives of the Dutts for a year, using the diaries and correspondence of Sunil and Nargis, as well as anecdotes from their daughter Priya, and their family and friends. The book even has excerpts from the Dutts' diaries, including their recollections of how they fell in love with each other.
"This story is contextualised parallel to the history of independent India and the film industry of the period," said Benegal. "In this context, it much more than a mere love story of two actors."
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