Jagmohan Singh Barhok
Born 4 June 1936, Nutan was the first child of her parents Kumarsen and Shobhna Samarth, who attained the status of a living legend in her life time. She was 14 when she worked in “Hamari Beti”, produced & directed by her mother. Her innocent face captured the fancy of Ravindra Dave who caste her in his big budgeted ” Nagina” opposite Nasir Khan( brother of Dilip Kumar).The film proved a hit inspite of its ‘A’ certificate. Surprisingly,& interestingly,too,Nutan and her friends were refused entry in the Super cinema ,though she explained that she was the heroine of the film.
It was her larger than life performance in ” Seema “( 1955) opposite legendary Balraj Sahney that won her the first of the five Filmfare Awards for Best Actress. She plays a rebel with aplomb who is steered in the right direction. The film had many hit songs like” Tu Pyaar Ka Sagar Hai” ( Manna Dey) & ” Baat Baat Me Rutho Na” ( lata ) composed by Shanker Jaikishan.It was followed by yet another masterpiece “Sujata”( 1959) opposite Sunil Dutt highlighting untouchability. The film ,directed by Bimal Roy won Filmfare Awards in four categories-Best Film & Best Director (Bimal Roy),Best Actress ( Nutan) & Best Story (Subodh Ghosh).It was also part of Cannes Film Festival. Bimal Roy’s “Bandini”(1963) added another feather in her cap as she bagged her third Filmfare Best Actress Award (1964) .The film overall won Awards in 6 categories.The film also won National Film Award For Best Feature Film In Hindi (1963).S.D. Burman composed two highly touching songs like “O Mere Majhi, Mere Sajan Hai”, and “Mora Gora Ang Laile, Mohe Shyam Rang”. It featured Dharmendra and Ashok Kumar.
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A Subba Rao’s ” Milan” ( 1967) featuring Nutan, Sunil Dutt, Pran & Jamuna turned out to be a ‘gold mine’ for lyricist Anand Bakshi with many a super-hit songs composed by Laxmi-Pyare like ” Sawan Ka Mahina Pawan kare Sor”,” Hum Tum, Yug Yug Se Yeh Geet Milan Ke”, and ” Bol gauri Bol Tera kaun Piya’ ( late-Mukesh).It was an emotional family drama which won Nutan her fourth Filmfare Best Actress Award.The film also won the Best Music Director & Best Supporting Actress Award ( Jamuna). However,it was “Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki” ( 1978), which captured the gradual transformation from a young, beautiful Thakur wife to an ageing widow, which Nutan portrayed so excellently to win her record fifth Filmfare Best Actress Award.The film starred Vinod Khanna, Vijay Anand,Deb Mukherjee & Asha Parekh who played Tulsi. She won her sixth Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in “Meri Jung” directed by Subhash Ghai (1985).
She was extraordinarily sensitive and touchy on and off the sets revealed Janki Dass, when he met me at the studio of a still photographer Mr. Bhatia at Ville Parle in 1990.He was also the official still photographer of film “Sahibaan”.
She shared a special chemistry with Dev Anand with whom she worked in such hits like “Barish”, ” Tere Ghar Ke Samne”, “Manzil” & ” Paying Guest”. She considered him a technical actor,answering to my question on the sets of “Garjana”.Later during the shooting of “Reurn of Jewel Thief”, when I asked Dev Anand to say something about his association with the actress, he asserted “Unquestionably a wonderful actress”.
She was all praise for Amitabh Bachchan with whom she worked in “Saudagar”,another masterpiece with Padma Khanna at her ever best as a sensuously bewitching belle. Amitabh and Nutan were bestowed with Filmfare Award For best Actor ( film “Don”) & Best Actress ( “Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki”) respectively in 1978. I also met Mohnish Behl,albeit brief, during the shooting of “Shola Aur Shabnam” at Natraj Studio, Andheri. “She was a wonderful actress, but as a mom she was superb . I was in Ooty shooting for this film when I was told she was serious. She died before I reached”, he told me.
Ashok Kumar, who featured opposite her in ” Bandini”, told this writer an interesting incident. He remarked, “During the shooting of Bandini an eagle flew at too low height to worry the entire unit. Nutan had to to sit under the wall for more than an hour under the too hot afternoon until the eagle flew away. Interestingly, unlike the present and many past heroines she did not flinch or grumble at all.”
Nutan, admittedly, was an actress par excellence .Her ability to emote to the dictates and demands of the shot was unparalleled. It was this quality of the actress that won her laurels both at national & international front as an actress of class by herself. I was four-years old when I saw her film “Shabaab” directed by M.Sadiq opposite Bharat Bhushan with some hit numbers like “Mehlon Mein Rahne Wale”, “Jogan Ban Jaungi Saiyan Tore Karan”, & “Jeena Teri Gali Mein Marna Teri Gali Mein” to mention few. I was 14-years old when I saw “Dilli Ka Thug” in an old Delhi cinema. She was a former Miss India & wore a swim suit in “Delhi Ka Thug” also starring Kishore Kumar.
Nutan also featured in Bimal Mitra’s teleserial ” Mujrin Hazir Hai” starring Utpal Dutt, Rita Bhaduri ,playing ‘Kaliganj Ki Bahu” casting a spell on the viewers by her touching & restrained performance.
