On Saturday, actor Mohnish Bahl paid a touching tribute to his mother, the iconic actress Nutan, as the film industry commemorated her 35th death anniversary. Mohnish shared a poignant black-and-white photo of Nutan on Instagram, celebrating her remarkable talent for portraying complex, often unconventional female characters. He expressed his love with simple red hearts and a folded hands emoji in the caption.
Nutan’s illustrious career spanned over four decades, during which she starred in nearly 100 films, ranging from urban romances to thought-provoking socio-realist dramas. She made her film debut at just 14 in the 1950 movie “Hamari Beti,” helmed by her mother. Nutan left an indelible mark with performances in films like “Sujata,” “Bandini,” “Milan,” “Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki,” “Anari,” “Chhalia,” “Tere Ghar Ke Saamne,” “Khandan,” “Saraswatichandra,” “Anuraag,” and “Saudagar,” among others.
Throughout her career, she collaborated with some of the biggest stars of the 50s and 60s, including Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, Sunil Dutt, Nasir Khan, Balraj Sahni, and Pradeep Kumar. Renowned directors such as Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Bimal Roy, and Vijay Anand also guided her performances.
Nutan’s last appearance was in the film “Insaniyat,” released in 1994, which featured her posthumously. She was married to naval Lieutenant-Commander Rajnish Bahl from 1959 until her passing from breast cancer in 1991.
Mohnish Bahl, following in his mother’s footsteps, made his acting debut in “Bekarar” alongside Padmini Kolhapure and Sanjay Dutt. He later starred in “Teri Bahon Mein,” a remake of “The Blue Lagoon,” with Ayesha Dutt. His significant commercial success came with the leading role in “Purana Mandir,” followed by landmark films like “Hum Aapke Hain Koun” and “Hum Saath-Saath Hain,” which were pivotal in the evolution of Hindi Cinema. Mohnish has appeared in over 100 films.
Continuing the legacy, Mohnish’s daughter, Pranutan Bahl, made her acting debut with “Notebook” in 2019 and has since appeared in “Helmet” and “Amar Prem Ki Prem Kahani.”