Google Doodle Celebrating Nutan’s 81st Birthday

The conflicted murderess (Bandini). The anguished untouchable (Sujata). The hell-raising orphan (Seema). All memorable characters played by Nutan, a celebrated Indian film actress known for communicating complex emotions using only facial expressions and body language rather than dialogue. An icon of Indian cinema for over four decades, Nutan pioneered powerful women-centric films in an age when male actors dominated the silver screen.

Over her career, her distinct, groundbreaking style helped solidify an award-winning legacy. She won the Padma Shri in 1974 for her contribution to the Arts and a total of six Filmfare Awards, five of which were for Best Actress. She remains the oldest Indian actress to win a Filmfare award.

The Doodle reflects Nutan’s expressive acting style on what would have been her 81st birthday. It was hard to sum up her genius in a single portrait, and so we depicted four distinct expressions.