Remembering Nutan on her birth anniversary

One of the finest actresses of Hindi cinema, Nutan would have turned 74, if she was alive today. Nutan has portrayed some of the best characters Bollywood has produced with a lot of ease and grace. Here are some of them. Text: Shweta Parande | Images: Publicity Stills.

A multiple Filmfare Award-winner, Nutan's charm, and grace won hearts. She shone like a bright star among her contemporary actresses like Madhubala, Waheeda Rehman and Meena Kumari. Nutan was born to actress Shobhana Samarth and poet and director Kumarsen Samarth in 1936.

Filmmakers like Chandulal Shah and K. Asif noticed her beauty even as she turned a teenager and offered her roles. But her mother chose her daughter a debut in 'Hamari Beti' (1950). Nutan won the Miss India pageant in 1951. Her first powerhouse performance came in a women-oriented role in 'Seema' (1955), with another great actor Balraj Sahni. Nutan won her first Filmfare Award for this film.

Next, Nutan starred in a rom-com, 'Paying Guest' (1957), opposite then heartthrob Dev Anand. This showed that her talent was not limited to serious roles.

The year 1959 was another landmark for her with 'Anari', 'Kanhaiya' and 'Sujata'. Nutan won a Filmfare Award for 'Sujata'. A revolutionary subject of that time, 'Sujata' dealt with a girl of a lower caste falling in love with a boy from upper caste (Sunil Dutt). As usual Nutan gave such a power-packed performance that it left most of the audiences teary eyed.

Dev Anand and Nutan also acted in 'Tere Ghar Ke Saamne' in 1963. But it was Bimal Roy's 'Bandini' which released the same year that catapulted her to greater heights of fame and glory. Nutan's portrayal of a tormented woman who gives up everything for love, is still considered one of the best performances. Of course, she garnered a Filmfare Award for it.

Nutan went on to be a part of many more memorable films ('Sarawsati Chandra', 'Milan', 'Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki'), even in her older age. Her roles as a mother in films like 'Meri Jung' and 'Karma' are still remembered.