This Miss India was called ‘ugly’, rejected Madhubala’s role in Mughal-e-Azam, filed cased against her…, name was…

Crowned Miss India in 1951, she went on to become one of the few actresses who was bold enough to wear a bikini in the film.

She was an acclaimed figure in Hindi cinema, who graced the screen for nearly four decades. Regarded as one of the finest actresses of her time, she earned numerous accolades for her tremendous work in over 80 films. Unfortunately, her life took a surprising turn when she filed a case against her mother, over financial mismanagement. Tragically, she passed away on February 26, 1991, after battling breast cancer.

We are talking about Nutan Samarth Bahl. A celebrated actress who left an indelible mark on Hindi cinema. She was renowned for portraying women-centric roles quite authentically and effortlessly. In recognition to her contributions, she was awarded the Padma Shri in 1974, the nation’s fourth-highest civilian honor.

Born to filmmaker Kumarsen Samarth and actress Shobhana Samarth, Nutan started her acting journey at just 14 with Hamari Beti (1950). She was first recognised in film Seema (1955) and later continued to prove her talent in films like Sujata, Bandini, Milan, and Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, among others.

Nutan was way ahead of her time, being crowned Miss India in 1951. She went on to become one of the few actresses who was bold enough to wear a bikini, which she did in 1958 in Dilli Ka Thug. One of the biggest films that Nutan ever rejected was Mughal-e-Azam. She was offered the role of Anarkali in the film, but she turned it down and the role eventually went to Madhubala. However, still it never affected her career and she continued to deliver some of the biggest hits.

On the personal front, Nutan married Naval Lt Commander Rajnish Bahl in 1959, and the couple welcomed their son, Mohnish Bahl, in 1961. However her relationship with her family became tensed over time, resulting in a legal battled against her mother over a financial mismanagement. Nutan later revealed that the decision to file the case against her mother was necessary to protect her family’s future. Their relationship deteriorated following that and Nutan didn’t spoke to her mother for nearly two decades.

For the unversed, Nutan’s sister Tanuja is an actress too. She is aunt of actresses Kajol and Tanuja Mukerji.