She played his mother in the movie but it was during the shooting of 'Mother India' that Nargis and Sunil Dutt fell in love.

"While shooting a scene for Mother India, mom was trapped in a circle of fire, and when the wind changed direction, she was unable to escape.

Without a moment's hesitation, dad ran into the raging fire and rescued her at great risk to his own life", say the Dutt sisters, Namrata and Priya in their forthcoming book 'Mr and Mrs Dutt, Memories of our Parents.'

To be published by Roli Books, the book is scheduled for release later this month.

"His hands and face were badly burnt and mom's hands too suffered serious injuries. They were then sent to recuperate in the nearby village of Bilimora in Gujarat. Mom spent day and night looking after Dad, as he was in acute pain. The fortnight they spent together was a turning point for them. It was during this time they fell in love," the sisters say in the book.

Nargis had told Sunil Dutt what kind of funeral she wanted. She reminded him how scared he was of fire and didn't want to be cremated. "He could have ignored her wishes, but he followed her instructions as he had deep regard for her beliefs and faith," the book says.