Nutan Samarth Bahl (4 June 1936 – 21 February 1991), known mononymously as Nutan, was an Indian actress who worked in Hindi films. In a career spanning nearly four decades, she appeared in more than 80 films, mostly as a protagonist, in both big productions and arthouse films that ranged in genre from urban romances, literary adaptations, to psychological and socio-realist dramas. Regarded as one of the finest actors in the history of Indian cinema, Nutan was noted for her naturalistic acting style in parts of conflicted women often deemed unconventional. Her accolades include a record five Filmfare Awards for Best Actress and the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1974.
Born in Bombay to filmmaker Kumarsen Samarth and film actress Shobhna Samarth, Nutan started her career at the age of 14 in the 1950 film Hamari Beti, directed by her mother. She subsequently starred in the films Nagina and Hum Log (both 1951). Her role in Seema (1955) garnered her wider recognition and the Filmfare Award for Best Actress. She continued playing leading roles through the 1960s until the late 1970s and went on to win the award on four other occasions for her roles in Sujata (1959), Bandini (1963), Milan (1967) and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki (1978). Some of her other films of this period include Anari (1959), Chhalia (1960), Tere Ghar Ke Saamne (1963), Khandan (1965), Saraswatichandra (1968), Anuraag (1972) and Saudagar (1973).
In the 1980s, Nutan started playing character roles and continued working until shortly before her death. She portrayed mostly motherly roles in such films as Saajan Ki Saheli (1981), Meri Jung (1985) and Naam (1986). Her performance in Meri Jung earned her a sixth and final Filmfare Award, this time in the Best Supporting Actress category. Nutan was married to naval Lieutenant-Commander Rajnish Bahl from 1959 until her death from breast cancer in 1991. They had a son, Mohnish Bahl, who is a film and television actor.
Early life
Nutan Samarth was born on 4 June 1936 in Bombay into a Marathi Hindu Chandraseniya Kayastha Prabhu family as the eldest of four children to director-poet Kumarsen Samarth and his actress wife and filmmaker Shobhna. Kumarsen was one of the early developers of the Films Division of India. She grew up with complexes as she was considered too skinny in her childhood. She had two sisters: actress Tanuja and Chatura and a brother Jaideep. Her parents separated before Jaideep's birth.
As a child, Nutan went to Villa Theresa School and was later educated at the Baldwin Girls' High School in Bangalore. While she was attracted to the performing arts since childhood and liked singing and dancing, she liked arithmetic and geography at school. She took lessons in classical music for four years under Jagannath Prasad. In 1953, when her film career had already started, she headed to Switzerland for further studies at La Chatelaine, a finishing school. She was sent there at the behest of her mother following Nutan's intensive work in films and major weight loss. She described the one year spent there as the happiest in her life and returned home a year later having gained 22 pounds.
