Nanda Karnataki

Nanda was born in a Maharashtrian show-business family to Vinayak Damodar Karnataki (Master Vinayak), a successful Marathi actor-producer-director. Master Vinayak was related to many personalities in the Indian film industry. His brother Vasudev Karnataki was a cinematographer while noted film personalities Baburao Pendharkar (1896–1967) and Bhalji Pendharkar (1897–1994) were his half-brothers. He was also a maternal cousin of legendary film director V. Shantaram. Master Vinayak was a good friend of the Mangeshkar family and introduced Lata Mangeshkar to the film industry in his movie Pahilee Mangalagaur.

Her father died in 1947, aged 41 when Nanda was seven years old. The family faced hard times. She became a child actress, helping her family by working in films in the early 1950s. As a result of her involvement in movies, her studies suffered, and she was coached at home by renowned school teacher and Bombay Scouts commissioner, Gokuldas V. Makhi. By taking up a career in films, she supported and educated her six siblings. One of her brothers is Marathi film director Jaiprakash Karnataki who is married to actress Jayshree T.