On a bright Sunday morning, I was watching “Rangoli” on Doordarshan, the song was played, from movie Saraswatichandra, a black and white good movie. Manish, a newcomer was her hero, who was little nervous, but heroine was quite matured and balanced. Song was also my favourite “Chandan sa badan, chanchal chitwan…dheerese Tera Ye Muskana, muze dosh na dena jagwalo, ho jaun agar mai Deewana.
Three things were good in that movie .
One was best heroine.
Second was Lyrics by Indeevar.
Third, it was sung by Mukesh (also female version of Latas voice ) So I was drowned in bhulee hui yaden. Every movie of Nutan ji was a masterpiece. She had acted in more than 80 films in the span of forty years career.
Nutan was born on 4th June 1936 in Bombay. Her mother Shobhana Samarth was also great actress of that time. Nutan was also way ahead of time she was crowned MISS INDIA in 1951. She was bold enough to wear bikini in Dilli Ka Thug, in 1958. She started acting as a child artist, then as heroin with top heroes like Dev Anand (paying guest), Raaj Kapoor (Anaari), Sunil Dutt( Milan).
Photo Courtesy: jenikirbyhistory.getarchive.net
In 1959, she got married to Lieutnant Commandar Rajneesh Bahl. She continued with acting in films after marriage. Sujata was also great film of Nutan directed by Bimal Roy, music composer was Sachin Dev Burman. Her hero was Sunil Dutt, other actors were Shashikala, Lalita Pawar, Asit Sen and Sulochana Latkar. All songs were famous in this movie. “Bachpan ke din bhi kya din the”, “Jalte hai jiske liye” & “Tum jiyo hajaro saal”.
Mohneesh Bahl, her son who works on television films and serials. She started acting character role as she grew older. She is also recipient of Five Filmfare awards (it was great thing for heroin with Marathi background and that too in stiff competition). She also got Padmashree in 1974, the fourth highest civilian honour. Sajan ki Saheli, (1981), Meri Jung (1985), Naam (1986) were the movies in which she acted in mother’s roles. She breathed her last in Breach Candy hospital due to cancer on 21st Feb 1991.
