Born on June 4 in 1936 to actress Shobhna Samarth and filmmaker-poet Kumarsen Samarth, Nutan completed her schooling at St. Joseph's Convent School, Panchgani and later headed to Switzerland for further studies. But before heading overseas, Nutan made her debut in films with 'Hamari Beti' at age 14. The movie was directed by her mother Shobhna Samarth.
In picture: Kumarsen Samarth, Shobhna Samarth and Nutan.
Nutan went on to work in more than 70 Hindi films in a career spanning over 40 years. Some of Nutan's most celebrated films are Anari, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne, Seema, Bandini, Sujata, Milan and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki.
Nutan had three siblings - two sisters and one brother. Eldest of four siblings, Nutan's parents separated after her brother Jaideep was born.
While her younger sister Tanuja entered Bollywood, she had another sister, Chatura, who stayed away from the limelight. Actresses Kajol and Tanishaa Mukherji are Nutan's nieces.
At age 16, Nutan won the Miss India title in 1952. Though Nutan had made her acting debut with Hamari Beti, her first big break was 1955's film Seema (starring Balraj Sahni). She went on to win her first Filmfare Best Actress Award.
Nutan married naval Lieutenant-Commander Rajnish Bahl in October 1959. Two years later, the couple was blessed with a son, whom they named Mohnish. He went on to become an actor in Television and Hindi film industry and carved a niche for himself. Nutan's granddaughter Pranutan, made her Bollywood debut in 2019 with Notebook.
Nutan was among the rare breed of female actors from her generation, who were offered leading roles even in their 40s. Pictured: The late actress with her son Mohnish Bahl.
Nutan died young at 54 after suffering from breast cancer. Pictured: Nutan with son Mohnish Behl and veteran actress Rekha.
Two of her films Naseebwala (1992) and Insaniyat (1994) were released after Nutan's death. Vinod Mehra, who was part of 'Insaniyat', also died during the filming of the movie.
Bandini (1963), in which Nutan played a young prisoner, is widely believed to be her best performance. However, convincing her to do the role wasn't easy as she had decided to quit movies post her marriage.
Famous actors like Sadhana and Smita Patil have stated that they sought inspiration from Nutan's style of acting. Pictured: Nutan with Shammi Kapoor in a still from their film.
Noted Marathi author Lalita Tamhane has penned a book on the legendary actor, titled Nutan -- Asen Mi Nasen Mi. Pictured: Nutan with Ashok Kumar.
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