Late actress Kamini Kaushal reminisced about her love life

Veteran actress Kamini Kaushal widely recognised as Indias oldest living actress died at the age of 98 on Friday According to reports she had been suffering from health concerns related to her ageFrom never having childhood crushes to parting ways with Dilip Kumar let us revisit the times she spoke about her personal lifeOn never having childhood crushesWhen asked about her childhood Kamini Kaushal said she was unlike most teenagers She spent her childhood in the lanes of Lahore The daughter of renowned Professor Shiv Ram Kashyap widely considered the father of Indian bryology Kamini Kaushal grew up in an environment that encouraged academic achievement and participation in the arts ldquoI had no time to fool I didnrsquot have any crush I was busy swimming riding skating and doing radio plays on Akashwani for which I was paid 10 I also wrote storiesrdquo she exclaimed proudly It was on the radio that she was discovered by director Chetan Anand and given a break in his film Neecha Nagar 1946 which won the coveted Palme dOr Golden Palm at the Cannes Film FestivalRecalling one instance when she was approached by a boy she said ldquoOnce while I was cycling back home one of the boys asked lsquoMay I ride with yoursquo I retorted lsquoWhat forrsquordquo But the idyllic life took a dramatic turn as the freedom movement grew fierce ldquoThere were morchas The mood was rebellious We then lived through the story of Independence and the Partitionrdquo said the Biraj Bahu actress She obtained her BA Honours in English Literature from Kinnaird College in LahoreOn her relationship with Dilip KumarA definitive chapter in her life of the late actress was her onscreen pairing and offscreen relationship with thespian Dilip KumarThe veteran actress had once reflected on her past relationship with legendary actor Dilip Kumar in her memoirFor the unversed Kamini Kaushal and Dilip Kumar reportedly met and fell in love on setThe legendary actors shared the screen in three filmsShaheed 1948 Nadiya Ke Paar 1948 Shabnam 1949 and Arzoo 1950 These movies were hugely successful and cemented the duo as an iconic pair However soon tragedy struck When Kamini Kaushalrsquos elder sister Usha died leaving two infant daughters behind she had to marry her brotherinlaw BS Sood and raise her niecesIn her biography Kamini wrote that she and Dilip Kumar had shared a deep bond and were very happy together but circumstances led them to separate She explained that she could never abruptly end things especially when her family was involved and also appreciated her husbandrsquos understanding of the situation ldquoWe were both shattered We were very happy with each other We shared a great rapport But thatrsquos life I couldnrsquot dump people and say lsquoEnough now Irsquom goingrsquo I had taken on the girls I wouldnrsquot be able to show my face to my sister My husband a fine human being understood why it happened Everyone falls in loverdquo she reflectedYears later Dilip Kumar would reflect on his first heartbreak in Bunny Reubenrsquos biography Dilip Kumar ndash Star Legend of Indian Cinema He recalled that moment by saying ldquoShe Kamini was the only one with whom I achieved total identification I think everybody falls in love only once lsquoAgainrsquo if there is an lsquoagainrsquo is merely an imitation of the brilliant flame the blinding light the days of trance the nights of impatience and waiting and days of such happiness that one cannot believe they will lastrdquo While Dilip Kumar never openly spoke about his feelings renowned novelist Ismat Chughtai had also revealed that he was deeply in love with KaminiThe actress went on to have three sons with her husband and lived a contented life as a mother She asserted Cinema was never my beall endall When I worked I did so with complete integrity But work didnt come above my family For me living a decent life is enough Yes I was passionate about acting but not for the sake of making money I like being creative I like making toys as much as acting In her last few years sheoccupied her time by returning to her childhood hobby of knitting puppets and creating puppet theatre