Special retrospective on Nutan to mark her 83rd birth anniversary

One of Indian cinema's finest actors Nutan will finally get her due with a special four-day retrospective dedicated to her being organised by the Bimal Roy Society (BRS) to mark her 83rd birth anniversary. Writer-columnist, documentary filmmaker and daughter of the filmmaking legend Bimal Roy, Rinki Roy Bhattacharya said: "This gifted actor struck a chord with both the classes and masses. Her unconventional roles and acting in the 70+ films she acted in still draw praise from viewers who are stunned at her natural craft and prowess. I am surprised this five-time Filmfare awardee has not been given her due yet and it was hence that BRS decided to have this retrospective."

The films that will be screened from June 1 to 4 include: Sujata, Saudagar, Tere Ghar Ke Saamne and Bandini. "These films highlight her ability to powerfully bring to life characters without resorting to high strung histrionics just giving it the right touch of realism," said Bhattacharya who added, "You will never find her simply playing the pretty second fiddle to the hero. If not equal to the hero, her characters stood out as stronger and memorable over generations."

The Encyclopedia Britannica credits Nutan's natural acting style to Bimal Roy's mentoring and says "actresses from Sadhana and Smita Patil looked up to her as a role model." The late Sadhana once told this writer: "There was so much to learn from how versatile Nutan was. If you see Seema, Sujata, Parakh or Bandini you can how she varies her craft to make them completely different from each other. So much would be conveyed in one expression or glance." This was echoed by the late Nanda who had said: "Audiences will always remember Nutan for her innate grace and charm."

The late icon's son was all praise for this effort. "This is a great way to introduce the younger generation to the brilliance of my mother Nutan and the work she did under the direction of Bimal Roy."