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Smita Patil birth anniversary: From being a newsreader to being bestowed with the Padma Shri; lesser known facts about the late actor
Smita Patil breathed her last on December 13, 1986, due to childbirth complications.
Let’s revisit the legacy of Smita Patil
Smita Patil was one of the leading actresses of parallel cinema during her time with her unconventional and thought-provoking roles in films like Bhumika or Manthan. Coming from an influential political family, she carved her own path in acting with her power-packed performances. On the occasion of her birth anniversary, let’s look at some of the lesser-known facts about her that her fans might not know about.
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Her early life
Smita was born on October 17, 1955, in Pune to a Maharashtrian politician, Shivajirao Girdhar Patil, and her mother, Vidyatai Patil, a social worker. As a child, she was always interested in dramas. Later, she enrolled at Bombay University to study literature and became part of local theatre groups. The family moved to Mumbai in 1969 when her father was elected a cabinet member.
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Her initial career
She started her career on television as a newsreader on Doordarshan in 1970. She then made her acting debut with the Arun Khopkar-directed film Teevra Madhyam. After this, Shyam Benegal found her and put her in his 1974 children's movie Charandas Chor. This was her big break.
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She was a prominent name in Marathi cinema
She was not only an accomplished actor in Bollywood but also a prominent name in Marathi cinema. She made her Marathi acting debut with the film Samna.
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Her film credits include
Smita reached success and fame with the Shyam Benegal-directed film Bhumika. The movie was about how hard it is to be an actress, and it won her the National Award for Best Actress just three years after she made her first movie appearance.
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Smita Patil was a philanthropist
Smita was an active member of the Women's Centre in Mumbai and tried to portray women’s issues on screen. She even donated her winnings from the national award to charity. The Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri in 1985 for her contribution to the fields of arts and cinema.
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Her personal life
Smita later became involved with fellow co-actor Raj Babbar, whom she met on the sets of the 1982 film Bheegi Palkein, which garnered much media frenzy as Babbar had left his wife Nadira Babbar to marry her. She became the subject of severe criticism from her fans and the media.