Biography of Nutan

(Image Credit: The Hindu) 

Renowned filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali once said about Nutan that they don’t make actresses like her anymore. This remark from Mr. Bhansali proves the versatility of Nutan and how great she was as an actress.

Nutan Samarth, her maiden name, was an Indian film actress from 1950- 1991. She was the daughter of a filmmaker, and her mother was an actress and a poet. She made her child debut with the Movie Hamari Beti directed by Shobha Samarth, her mother. Nutan was skinny since her childhood, which made her complex about herself. She was the eldest among her four siblings.

Her Life

(Image Credit: The Hindu) 

Nutan always played unconventional roles not only in movies but in her life as well. She wore a bikini in the era when women were considered suitable only under the veil. It was a common trend in Bollywood for actresses to leave their careers after they got married.

Nutan broke this myth by continuing and flourishing in her career even after marrying Mr. Rajnish Bahl. Her son Manish Bahl is a famous actor in Bollywood. She is the elder sister to actress Tanuja and aunt to Kajol and Tanisha Mukherjee. Nutan was fond of singing and dancing along with acting. Unfortunately, Nutan died early in age due to cancer, and we lost a great artist.

Her Career

It was Shobha Samrat’s wish to make her daughter Nutan an actress because she was one. Her mother was broad-minded, allowing her daughter to go to Switzerland to learn acting skills. She made sure that her daughter excelled in this field as an actress. Nutan shared an instance when her relatives used to call her ugly. After watching her movie, they were proud of her. She recorded a soundtrack singing the song “Tujhe Kaisa Dulha Bhai Re” for Snehal Bhatkar.

She had been a promising actress throughout her career, with great movies she did through the years. In 1951 her film Nagina projected Nutan as a full-fledged actress; her first commercial breakthrough changed her life forever. Director Zia Sarhadi created a social drama, Hum Log, in 1951, where Nutan played a middle-class daughter. She aspired to become a writer but unfortunately suffered from tuberculosis, an incurable disease.

The success of Nagina and Hum Log reserved her position as a rising star in the Hindi film industry. However, her most significant break came with the movie Seema which got her Filmfare Award for Best Actress. Nutan also acted in the RomCom movie Paying Guest alongside superstar Dev Anand.

She gave two hits with Raj Kapoor and Sunil Dutt in Anari and Sujata. In the upcoming years, she had many superhit movies like Chaliya, Saraswati Chandra, Devi, and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki. Nutan, paired with Dev Anand applauded by audiences in the film Baarish, Manzil, and Tere Ghar Ke Samne. Bimal Roy, Nutan’s favorite director, cast her in Bandini’s movie. It was Nutan’s critically acclaimed movie and is considered the best performance in her career.

Her Legacy

Nutan’s legacy, she was a versatile, hard-working, and disciplined actress. Her voice and dialogue delivery were very heart-touching. Her style and grace are unmatched even today.

The way she carried herself as an actress and an individual is remarkable. You see her in Bandini and Seema, and you will fall for her immediately. She was the queen of emotions; Nutan took every role as a challenge and proved her worth. Actresses like Sadhna and Smita said that she strongly influenced their acting careers about Nutan.

Trivial Facts About Nutan

• She was not allowed in her film premiere because she was underage. The film got an A certificate.
• She was Miss India in 1952.
• She wore a bikini and surprised everyone with her appearance.
• Nutan considered Bimal Roy her pole star in Bollywood, who offered her the movie Bandini in 1963.
• She was a trained singer and sang ‘Aye Mere Humsafar’ in 1960, which was self-written.
• Once Dev Anand said, Nutan, is the only actress in Bollywood to have intelligent conversations.
• Age was no bar for her. She has aged most iconic roles even after age 40 when actresses retire from the industry.
• She played an active role in making her son Manish Bahl’s career.

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